A variety of intermetallic compounds have been irradiated with high energy ions to determine the criteria for an amorphous transformation. Those compounds with limited compositional range or solubility tend to become amorphous during irradiation, whereas those compounds with wide solubility tend to remain crystalline. This solubility criterion is consistent with the concept that a critical defect density which will result in a greater free energy of the crystal phase than the free energy of the amorphous phase is necessary for the amorphous transformation. This critical defect density is lower in those compounds that become amorphous. The ionicity criterion of Naguib and Kelly does not work for these intermetallic compounds, but the temperature criterion is probably valid and is, in fact, directly related to the proposed solubility criterion.

Amorphous phase formation in irradiated intermetallic compounds

The ordering and disordering of solid solutions under irradiation

Amorphization of intermetallic compounds under irradiation - A review

The relationship between the chemical and topological disorder in the intermetallic compound Cu4Ti3

Neutron irradiation effects on intermetallic precipitates in Zircaloy as a function of fluence

The behaviour of the ordered alloy Zr3Al has been iavestigated by transmission electron microscopy following ion bombardments at temperatures ranging from 30 to 850 K. The diffraction-contrast features of individual damaged regions produced by low-fluence C+, N+ or Ar+ ions (0·5–2·0 MeV) were examined. Imaging with fundamental reflections revealed strain-contrast images arising from defect clusters which have essentially a spherically symmetrical strain-field and which presumably also encompass disordered regions. Other disordered regions, which were not associated with the defect clusters, were rendered visible due to structure factor contrast by imaging with 110 superlattice reflections. Both types of damaged regions were observed to anneal out in the region 723–848 K. With increasing bombarding ion fluence, Zr3Al gradually disordered and this transition was monitored by assessing the change in the long-range order parameter S. Post-irradiation annealing and high-temperature irradiation experim...

L. M. Howe

Papers

The nature of irradiation-produced damaged regions in ordered Zr3Al