LAUSR

Abstract The study of changes in physical-chemical and mechanical properties of ceramic nitride materials as a result of the effect of heavy ions is of great interest in the field of radiation-resistant materials. In the course of investigation conducted there has been determined the mechanisms of ionizing irradiation effect on change of the main crystallographic characteristics and performance characteristics of nitride ceramics (reduction of thermal conductivity, strength, electrical resistivity and microhardness). The choice of Fe7+ ions with energy of 85 MeV is due to possibility of modeling by using it a fission fragments in reactors. In turn, the determination of mechanisms of change of structural properties and radiation resistance of materials is an important factor in the study of radiation damage in materials for nuclear industry. It has been proved that when the density of ceramics decreases due to a change in the crystallographic characteristics, the conducting properties decrease and the resistance of ceramics to the formation of microcracks decreases. The application of the ATR-FTIR method allowed to examine the change in chemical bonds in the near-surface irradiated layer as a result of irradiation. In addition, the effect of various factors in the variation of diffraction peaks has been evaluated using the Williamson-Hall method, which evidences that at small doses the contributions from size effects and deformation of the structure due to stresses are equivalent. An increase in the irradiation dose up to 1 × 1013 ion/cm2 and higher, the greatest contribution to the change in the structural properties was due to the deformations of the crystal lattice, which are caused by the formation of a large concentration of regions with a high density of defects and oxide impurities in the crystal structure.