Property change mechanism in tungsten under neutron irradiation in various reactors

Neutron irradiation data for the hardness and electrical resistivity of W and W–Re was obtained by JOYO, JMTR and HFIR irradiation experiments. The irradiation damage levels and temperature range were 0.15–1.0 dpa at around 500–600 °C. The effects of irradiation temperature, damage level and Re content on hardening and electrical resistivity are discussed. In the case of HFIR irradiated specimen, large irradiation hardening and an increase in electrical resistivity were observed, however, the trend for the electrical resistivity was different from previous work. The property change mechanism is discussed considering the irradiated microstructure and solute elements.