Abstract:
Aluminum alloy, as a kind of important structural materials used in laser-driven Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) facilities, will be exposed to high-energy neutrons with high yields. The activation level of aluminum alloys should be taken into account when selecting the materials used in ICF facilities during design. Specific activities and dose rates for three different aluminum alloys after irradiation by 14 MeV neutrons were calculated and compared using the FISPACT inventory code. The results show that both specific activity and dose rate decrease 3 magnitudes in one week after irradiation. It is found that aluminum contributes to more than 90% of the total activity (dose rate) in the first week while Manganese and zinc in aluminum alloys are dominant in longer cooling times. The main residual nuclides are
24Na,
54Mn and
65Zn.For safety considerations, it is better to choose aluminum alloys with lower Mn and Zn contents.