Sequential ion irradiations on Fe-Cr and ODS Fe-Cr alloys

Abstract

Oxide dispersion strengthened steels are candidate materials for nuclear reactor applications due to a powerful

combination of properties, such as reduced activation, high-temperature strength and increased creep resistance.

The dispersion of nanometric oxide particles in the steel matrix may also enhance radiation resistance by acting

as trapping sites for irradiation induced defects. In this work, an Fe–14Cr–2 W–0.3-Ti–0.3Y2O3 (wt%) steel and a

model Fe-14Cr (wt%) alloy were sequentially irradiated with He+ and Fe+ ions up to 15 dpa and 8000 appm to

simulate fusion radiation damage. Their microstructural stability was investigated by positron annihilation

spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy studies show that under

these irradiation conditions there are no significant changes in the mean size, qualitative chemical composition

and number density of nanoparticles, although the irradiation appears to induce a slight coarsening of the

smaller nanoparticles. Both materials exhibit very small (< 2 nm) irradiation-induced bubbles, with similar sizes

but lower number density in the ODS steel. Positron annihilation spectroscopy results show the presence of

irradiation induced open volume defects, much more noticeable in the model alloy. In both alloys, helium

appears to associate with the newly formed vacancy-type defects introduced by the subsequent Fe+ irradiation.