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Nature of the Fine-Scale Defects and Radiation Hardening in Stainless Steels Neutron-Irradiated at 550K

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

D. J. Edwards
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, MSIN P8-15 Richland, WA 99352, U.S.A.
E. P. Simonen
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, MSIN P8-15 Richland, WA 99352, U.S.A.
S. M. Bruemmer
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, MSIN P8-15 Richland, WA 99352, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Our understanding of radiation effects in stainless steels irradiated at temperatures below annealing stage V (<573K) remains unclear. The microstructure under these conditions has been loosely described in terms of Frank loops and “black spot” damage, the latter of which is typically considered to be 4-5 nm or less in size. To further clarify the nature of these defects, 6 stainless steels heats neutron irradiated at 550K from 0.6 to 13.3 dpa have been characterized by TEM. The microstructure is comprised of a very high density of small Frank loops present in sizes as small as 1 nm and perhaps lower, which could be of both vacancy and interstitial-type. The density of the visible loops is already established at the lowest dose available, however, the microstructure continues to evolve as the dose increases. The size distributions of the Frank loops change from a narrow symmetric distribution to a much broader size distribution with a bimodal distribution beginning to form at the higher doses.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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