NEUTRON-IRRADIATION OF AR1C60

Samples of Ar1C60 (both powder and films) were produced by hot isostat ically pressing C-60 in an atmosphere of Ar at 170 MPa. The prepared s amples of Ar1C60 were irradiated with neutrons in a high flux nuclear reactor for a period of 4 h. In each case, the material was exposed at 300 K to a thermal neutron flux of 5 x 10(13) neutrons cm(-2) s(-1). The measured activity of the Ar-41 showed that there was no evidence o f escape of the activated species from the lattice as a result of the neutron irradiation. IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction with Rietveld analysis, and transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with ene rgy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that Ar in general was not lo st from the lattice as a result of being exposed to the harsh nuclear reactor conditions associated with the neutron irradiation.