Defect recovery behavior of neutron irradiated molybdenum and tungsten of two purity levels

Abstract

The recovery behavior of radiation-induced defects during post-irradiation annealing was studied on molybdenum and tungsten specimens of two different purity levels. An electrical resistivity measurement technique at liquid nitrogen boiling temperature (～77°K) was used. Irradiation of both materials was conducted in Oak Ridge Research reactor at reactor ambient temperature (～70°C). The accumulative neutron fluence received was 7.3E+19 neutrons cm^?2 (E_n>l MeV) and 5.1E+20 neutrons cm^?2 (thermal). It was found that the number of recovery stages appeared to be independent of either the material or the impurity content. The stages are then believed to be due to the recovery of intrinsic defects and the recovery mechanisms are most likely the same for molybdenum and tungsten on the homologous temperature scale.