Effects of deposited nuclear and electronic energy on the hardness of R7T7-type containment glass

The effects of elastic and inelastic interactions induced by cumulative alpha decay on the hardness of R7T7-type nuclear containment glass were investigated on actinide-doped glass specimens and by external irradiation of inactive glass by light and heavy ions. Vickers microindentation and nanoindentation hardness measurements showed that in the deposited energy range investigated (below 3 × 1022 keV/cm3) inelastic effects have no influence on the plastic response of the glass. Conversely, identical hardness variations versus the nuclear energy deposited in the material were observed on curium-doped glass and on glass irradiated by ion bombardment. The observed hardness variation stabilized after the deposited energy reached about 3 × 1020 keVnucl/cm3. These findings indicate that the change in the plastic response of the glass is a consequence of ballistic effects.