Because Zr is used in the nuclear industry to sheath fuel and as structural component material within the reactor core, it is important to understand Zr's point defect properties. In the present work point defect-impurity interaction has been assessed by measuring the influence of grain boundaries on the width of the zone denuded of dislocation loops in a series of irradiated Zr alloys. Electropolished Zr and its alloys have been irradiated using an AEI EM7 HVEM at 1 MeV, ∼675 K and ∼10-6 torr vacuum pressure. During some HVEM irradiations it has been seen that there is a difference in the loop nucleation and growth behaviour adjacent to the grain boundary as compared with the mid-grain region. The width of the region influenced by the presence of the grain boundary should be a function of the irradiation temperature, dose rate, solute concentration and crystallographic orientation.
