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2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Christmas Light
’Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
No electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged by the chimney with care
With the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
W. J. Mills, Bernard Mastel
Nuclear Technology | Volume 73 | Number 1 | April 1986 | Pages 102-108
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT86-A16206
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fast neutron irradiation to total fluences ranging from 7.7 × 1021 to 5.7 × 1022 n/cm2 (3 to 16 dpa) resulted in a 65% increase in yield strength and a fourfold reduction in ductility. Intergranular fracture was the dominant failure mode for the irradiated material, whereas equal amounts of intergranular and trans-granular cracking were found in the unirradiated condition. This fracture mechanism transition resulted from intense heterogeneous deformation in a matrix strengthened by an irradiation-produced dislocation substructure. Planar slip bands impinged on the grain boundaries causing very high local stresses. Intergranular cracking resulted because the hardened matrix prevented relaxation of the stress concentrations.