Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of doping ZrO2 ceramics with MgO on
radiation swelling and polymorphic transformations, as a result of irradiation with heavy ions.
Interest in these types of materials is due to the great prospects for their use as structural materials for
new-generation reactors. The study established the dependences of the phase composition formation
and changes in the structural parameters following a change in the concentration of MgO. It has
been established that the main mechanism for changing the structural properties of ceramics is the
displacement of the cubic c-ZrO2 phase by the Zr0.9Mg0.1O2 substitution phase, which leads to an
increase in the stability of ceramic properties to irradiation. It has been determined that an increase
in MgO concentration leads to the formation of an impurity phase Zr0.9Mg0.1O2 due to the type of
substitution, resulting in changes to the structural parameters of ceramics. During studies of changes
in the strength properties of irradiated ceramics, it was found that the formation of a phase in the
Zr0.9Mg0.1O2 structure leads to an increase in the resistance to cracking and embrittlement of the
surface layers of ceramics.
