Ion irradiation of ceramic oxides: Disorder production and mechanical properties

This paper presents the effects produced by ion irradiation in selected ceramic oxides. In the first part radiation damage accumulation in crystals irradiated with low-energy ions is reviewed. A special emphasis is given to the quantitative determination of accumulated disorder in irradiated oxide crystals. The second part of the paper describes the mechanical properties of irradiated materials: nanohardness, Young modulus and friction coefficient. These properties are compared to the amount of radiation damage, pointing to possible mechanisms that can be used for modifications of the friction properties of ceramics.