Transmission electron microscopy, swelling measurements, isochronal annealing and thermal diffusivity tests were used to characterize the effects of radiation damage in SiC. These techniques provided a comprehensive set of tools for observing and characterizing the structure and evolution of radiation-induced defects in SiC as a function of irradiation temperature and dose. Two types of dense crystalline monolithic SiC were subjected to irradiation doses of up to 1dpa at 1100C, as well as to post-irradiation annealing at up to 1500C. The microscopic defect structures which were observed by transmission electron microscopy were correlated with changes in the macroscopic dimensions, thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity. The results demonstrated the value of using ultra-pure β-SiC as a reference material for characterizing the nature of the radiation damage to be expected in more complex materials such as SiC/SiC composites.

Defect Structure and Evolution in Silicon Carbide Irradiated to 1dpa-SiC at 1100C. D.J.Senor, G.E.Youngblood, L.R.Greenwood, D.V.Archer, D.L.Alexander, M.C.Chen, G.A.Newsome: Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2003, 317[2-3], 145-59