Mechanical property testing and X-ray diffraction-line profile analyses were carried out on proton-bombarded Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1%Fe samples. The X-ray data revealed that the order of the dislocation density was almost unchanged up to the experimental limit of dosage. It was found that the yield strength increased with dose, due to the locking or pinning of dislocations by vacancy clusters. There was an anomaly in the yield strength, at a dose of 5 x 1020/m2, and this was attributed to the interaction of vacancies with solute atoms.

The Study of Microstructural Defects and Mechanical Properties in Proton-Irradiated Zr-1.0%Nb-1.0%Sn-0.1%Fe. P.Mukherjee, P.M.G.Nambissan, P.Barat, P.Sen, S.K.Bandyopadhyay, J.K.Chakravartty, S.L.Wadekar, S.Banerjee, S.K.Chattopadhyay, S.K.Chatterjee, M.K.Mitra: Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2001, 297[3], 341-4