Mechanical performance of MFE materials

The objective of this program is to establish the effects of Magnetic Fusion Reactor (MFR) environments on the mechanical properties of candidate MFR materials. As a first step in meeting this end, a torsional system was developed to measure creep resulting from incident light ions of energies ranging from 5 to 60 MeV and displacement rates up to 1 x 10-5 dpa/sec. Light particle simulation of creep and cyclic behavior will be necessary during early stages of MFR materials devlopment because high flux neutron sources will not be available during this period. The specific objectives of this six month period were to finalize the thermal creep testing phase and initiate creep measurements under proton irradiation. The goals of the first irradiation were to determine if proton induced creep could, in fact, be resolved from thermal creep and to give the entire system, including all beam defining, collimating and measurement components, a thorough test in a radiation environment