2.5 MeV electron irradiation effect of alumina ceramics

In order to choose an alumina ceramic material for use as a vacuum beam duct in a rapid cycling synchrotron, several kinds of alumina ceramics, having different microstructures, were examined under radiation fields of 2.5 MeV electrons. Since a long ceramic duct can only be manufactured by glazing duct segments, the mechanical strength and deterioration not only of the ceramics but also in the glazing joint were measured after irradiation. These ceramics have a sufficiently high flexural strength of more than 300 MPa before electron beam irradiation, and the experimental results showed no deterioration of the flexural strength after 1000 MGy electron beam irradiation. Also no noticeable changes could be seen in the measured tensile strength of Ti-ceramic brazed samples after 1000 MGy electron beam irradiation.