Influence of magnesium additions on the low temperature recovery stages in neutron irradiated aluminium

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Abstract
In order to investigate the interaction between interstitial defects and impurity atoms in aluminium, a series of dilute aluminium-magnesium alloys were neutron irradiated at 24K. The recovery of electrical resistivity shows that the addition of increasing magnesium concentrations decreases the high temperature part (32-55K) of stage I. The migration energy of a free interstitial has been found equal to 125+or-5 meV. Stage II (55-175K) is also modified by magnesium additions but two opposite effects are observed according to the temperature range. Below 100K, sub-stage IIA has a behaviour similar to that of stage I; its amplitude decreases with increasing magnesium content. This sub-stage appears to be the result of several recovery mechanisms which involve multiple interstitial defects. Inversely, above 100K, stage IIB, which does not exist in pure aluminium, appears and grows in importance for higher concentrations.