The behaviour of gaseous impurities in boron carbide

The behaviour of admixtures, oxygen and nitrogen, as well as that of impuri ity-helium transmutant - in boron carbide, which is a neutron-absorbing material has been investigated. In the process of boron carbide irradiation pores of bot th spherical and lamellar shape are formed in it. Identity of the pore filling echanism both with helium and technological gaseous impurities is established ex xperimentally. Gaseous impurities are shown the to affect the boron carbide the mal conductivity only if present in high concentrations. Filling the pores with h gas is found to be of importance for the kinetics of product swelling