Limitation factors of targets behaviour in accelerator experiments

A number of question which deal with the serviceability of structural materials for the beam stop first-wall and stripper targets of the Moscow Meson Facility (MMF) are considered. This report compares the effects on target lifetime of factors such as radiation damage, thermal heating, constant and dynamic thermostresses, and erosion of target material by sputtering, blistering and other processes. The hardware and software employed by the radiation physics team of the Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences (INR RAS) are described.