Radiation Effects on the Physical Properties of Low‐Expansion‐Coefficient Glasses and Ceramics

The effects of irradiation on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), the density, and the elastic moduli of low‐CTE materials such as amorphous SiO 2 , ultra‐low‐expansion glass, β‐SiC, Astrositall, and Zerodur were surveyed. It was found that the properties of all of these materials were affected by radiation exposures up to 2 × 10 9 rd; SiO 2 and SiC were the most radiation‐resistant of the materials studied.