Radiation tolerance of Mn+1AXn phases, Ti3AlC2 and Ti3SiC2

During investigations of novel material types with uses in future nuclear technologies (ITER/DEMO and GenIV fission reactors), ternary carbides with compositions Ti3AlC2 and Ti3SiC2 have been irradiated with high Xe fluences, 6.25 × 1015 ions cm−2 (∼25–30 dpa), using the IVEM-TANDEM facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Both compositions show high tolerance to damage, and give indications that they are likely to remain crystalline to much higher fluences. There is a visible difference in tolerance between Ti3AlC2 and Ti3SiC2 that can be related to the changes in bonding within each material. These initial findings provide evidence for a novel class of materials (+200 compounds) with high radiation resistance, while, significantly, both of these materials are composed of low-Z elements and hence exhibit no long-term activation.