Accumulation of hydrogen in titanium exposed to neutron irradiation

Abstract Hydrogen saturation of titanium-based materials exposed to irradiation with resonance neutrons with an energy of 0.1 MeV is considered. Radioactive scandium 22Sc46, gamma-quanta with energy of 889 and 1120 keV, and hydrogen form during nuclear reactions in titanium. The intensity of the gamma radiation depends on the concentration of hydrogen in titanium pre-saturated with hydrogen. The gamma field likely effects the excitation of the hydrogen subsystem of titanium. Irradiated materials in the presence of gamma radiation are controlled by measuring the thermo-emf. Hydrogenation of titanium exposed to neutron irradiation increases by 10–12%, which changes the thermo-emf by 20%. The temperature of components required to obtain the most hydrogen-saturated titanium corresponds to room temperature. Using this method, the hydrogen saturation time of material decreases and its amount of hydrogen increases. The effective conductivity energy is 0.17/0.5 mV K for unirradiated titanium and 0.122/0.5 mV K for irradiated titanium, change of 30%. The effect of gamma radiation must be considered when producing neutron shields based on titanium borides. Intermetallic compounds used for the accumulation and transportation of hydrogen and exposed to irradiation lose titanium atoms, negating the composition stoichiometry. The quality of commercial titanium saturated with hydrogen under these conditions improves.