Testing capabilities of Los Alamos National Laboratory for irradiated materials

Spallation neutron sources expose materials to high energy (>100 MeV) proton and neutron spectra. Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of radiation damage in a lower energy neutron flux from fission or fusion reactors on the mechanical properties of materials, very little work has been performed on the effects that exposure to a spallation neutron spectrum has on the mechanical properties of materials. These effects can be significantly different than those observed in a fission or fusion reactor spectrum because exposure to high energy protons and neutrons produces more He and H along with the atomic displacement damage. Los Alamos National Laboratory has unique facilities to study the effects of spallation radiation damage on the mechanical properties of materials. The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) has a pulsed linear accelerator which operates at 800 MeV and 1 mA. The Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effect Facility (LASREF) located at the end of this accelerator is designed to allow the irradiation of components in a proton beam while water cooling these components and measuring their temperature. After irradiation, specimens can be investigated at hot cells located at the Chemical Metallurgy Research Building. Wing 9 of this facility contains 16 hot cells set up in two groups of eight, each having a corridor in the center to allow easy transfer of radioactive shipments into and out of the hot cells. These corridors have been used to prepare specimens for shipment to collaborating laboratories such as PNNL, ORNL, BNL, and the Paul Scherrer Institute to perform specialized testing at their hot cells. The LANL hot cells contain capabilities for opening radioactive components and testing their mechanical properties as well as preparing specimens from irradiated components