Effects of the Zirconia-Alumina Composite Ceramics with Varying Compositions on Resistance to Helium Swelling
Abstract
This work studies the effects of zirconium dioxide (zirconia, ZrO2)-alumina (Al2O3) composite ceramics with a change in the ratio of components on the resistance to the accumulation of radiation damage (structural swelling due to deformation distortions) caused by irradiation with He2+ ions in the near-surface layer, and determines the influence of irradiation temperature on the resistance of ceramics to diffusion processes in the near-surface layer. Interest in this research topic is primarily due to the possibility of obtaining new data on the radiation resistance of composite ceramics based on refractory compounds, as well as the interpretation of the main mechanisms of defect formation associated with the accumulation of implanted ions in the damaged layer of ceramics. During the experiments, the main diffusion mechanisms of implanted helium ions in the near-surface layer, which have a clear dependence on the irradiation temperature, were determined. Work was carried out to determine the strain embrittlement and softening of the near-surface layer along the trajectory of helium ions, as well as their dependence on the variations in irradiation conditions. An increase in the irradiation temperature from 500 to 1000 K leads to an elevation in the diffusion effect of implanted helium ions in the near-surface layer of ZrO2–Al2O3 ceramics, while the presence of impurity inclusions in the form of Al2O3 and AlZrO2 leads to a rise in the resistance of ceramics to the effect of softening and structural degradation.