Oxidation behavior of plasma sintered beryllium-titanium intermetallic compounds as an advanced neutron multiplier

Our evaluation of the oxidation behavior of each phase in our beryllide samples is as follows: Be12Ti and Be17Ti2 both have good oxidation resistance, owing to the formation of dense and protective scales, while the Be and Be2Ti phases are mainly responsible for thermal-gravimetry (TG) weight gains, which is indicative of severe oxidation. We attribute the degradation in oxidation resistance specifically to Be2Ti that transforms into TiO2, and also find this phase to be the cause of deterioration in the mechanical properties of samples, owing to cracks near Be2Ti phase conglomerates.