  Newest developments in nuclear fission and fusion technology as well as
planned long-distance space missions demand novel materials to withstand harsh,
irradiative environments. Radiation-induced hardening and embrittlement are a
concern that can lead to failure of materials deployed in these applications.
Here the underlying mechanisms are accommodation and clustering of lattice
defects created by the incident radiation particles. Interfaces, such as free
surfaces, phase and grain boundaries, are known for trapping and annihilating
defects and therefore preventing these radiation-induced defects from forming
clusters. In this work, differently structured nanocomposite materials based on
Cu-Fe-Ag were fabricated using a novel solid-state route, combining severe
plastic deformation with thermal and electrochemical treatments. The influence
of different interface types and spacings on radiation effects in these
materials was investigated using nanoindentation. Interface-rich bulk
nanocomposites showed a slight decrease in hardness after irradiation, whereas
the properties of a nanoporous material remain mostly unchanged. An explanation
for this different material behavior and its link to recovery mechanisms at
interfaces is attempted in this work, paving a concept towards radiation
resistant materials.

Materials Science