Characterization of dislocation loops in neutron-irradiated titanium

Dislocation loops formed in high-purity titanium irradiated at 673 K to 3.9 × 1023 neutrons/m2 (> 1 MeV) have been characterized using transmission-electron-microscopy techniques. The loop Burgers vector was of the form 1/2〈1120〉 and loop-normal measurements showed considerable deviation from the pure edge orientation. The loops were invariably elliptical with the major axis approximately parallel to the [0001] direction and the minor axis in the (0001) plane. Vacancy loops were predominant, but after allowing for the larger size of interstitial loops, the numbers of vacancies and interstitials stored in loops were found to be approximately equal.