Effects of temperature and gamma radiation damage on the stress-strain characteristics of some Al-Fe and Al-Si alloys

The effects of gamma radiation have been extensively investigated by stress-strain measurements in the temperature range from 300 K up to 475 K for Al-Fe and Al-Si alloys. Small concentrations of 0.0005 - 0.0030 at% Fe and 0.01 - 0.37 at% Si, in the Al-matrix caused a decrease in the work hardening coefficient, yield stress and fracture stress, while the stress-strain parameters were increased after gamma irradiation. The decrease of stress-strain parameters with increasing temperature and increasing proportion of alloying elements was attributed to the migration of vacancy atom pairs in the Al-matrix. After gamma irradiation the increase of the stress-strain parameters was highly attributed to atomic displacements and the interaction of dislocations formed by irradiation process with Si and Fe vacancy pairs. (author)