Measuring the radiation tolerance of materials
When material is exposed to radiation, physical changes occur in its microstructure that can alter its mechanical properties, degrade its performance, and potentially lead to device failure. Scientists at CAMS use our unique, high-energy ion implantation capability to simulate how different radioactive environments affect various materials, including metals and alloys, providing insight regarding how the material will behave in real-world, radioactive environments, such as nuclear power plants and in space.
Through ion implantation, we rapidly “age” the material by orders of magnitude compared to natural aging rates, so we can study processes that normally occur on timescales of tens or hundreds of years in a matter of days or hours. Our 10-megavolt accelerator allows us to propel ions at a rapid velocity, so they penetrate deep into the target material. We then analyze changes to the material’s physical properties, helping us better understand its radiation tolerance. The high energy of the CAMS accelerator allows for direct measurement of physical properties, rather than inferring those properties from microscopy, thereby providing more reliable data to engineers and designers.
