The formation rate and dynamic equilibrium concentrations of interstitial clusters in 30%Zn -phase alloys were determined by using resistivity techniques. It was found that the transition temperature for interstitial cluster formation was 158C. Below this temperature, the rate of interstitial cluster formation increased rapidly upon decreasing the temperature to about 60C, and then decreased with further decreases in temperature. The dynamic equilibrium concentration of interstitial clusters depended upon the irradiation temperature but did not depend greatly upon the magnitude of the irradiation flux or the type of high-energy particle. The transition temperatures for interstitial cluster formation in Au and Ni had previously been calculated by using rate equations, and it was found that this temperature depended mainly upon the magnitude of the activation energy for the migration of vacancies, assuming that the binding energy between 2 interstitials was at least 0.6eV. The experimentally determined transition temperature (158C) for Cu-Zn alloys was compatible with the activation energy (0.96eV) for the migration of vacancies.

Radiation Induced Structural Changes in α-Cu-Zn Alloys. W.Schüle: Materials Science Forum, 1992, 97-99, 223-8