Radiation Damage Effects in Alumina

The current understanding of radiation damage mechanisms in alumina produced by bombardment with energetic electrons, ions, or neutrons is reviewed with particular emphasis on the relative effects of displacement damage on the aluminum and oxygen sublattices. The displacement damage equations are presented and it is shown that a temperature dependence of damage efficiency should be introduced into displacement damage calculations. The evolution of the damage microstructure is discussed for three broad temperature ranges followed by the effects of point and aggregate defects on physical properties. These include dimensional stability, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and dielectric properties. The review concludes with the effects of neutron irradiation on mechanical properties.