Depth distributions of cavities in advanced ferritic/martensitic and austenitic steels with high helium preimplantation and high damage level. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jin, Shuoxue; Ma, Hailiang; Lu, Eryang; Zhou, Liang; Zhang, Qiaoli; Fan, Ping; Yan, Qingzhi; Yuan, Daqing; Cao, Xingzhong; Wang, Baoyi
• Is Part Of: Materials today energy. Volume 20(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: Void swelling -- Ion irradiation -- Helium -- Ferritic/martensitic steel -- Austenitic steels; Energy development -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Energy development; Energy industries; Energy policy; Power resources; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtener.2021.100687
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6069

Abstract

Abstract: The cavity depth distributions in advanced ferritic/martensitic and austenitic 316 steels were characterized after irradiation with Ni ions at 580 °C to peaked damage of ~300 dpa and 13, 000 appm preimplanted helium. The swelling depth distributions for the 316 austenitic steel were determined to be ~0.0148%/dpa in helium preirradiation region, ~0.1761%/dpa in transitional region, and ~0.0363%/dpa in peak region, respectively. Inhibitory effect of swelling was observed in the peaked dpa region due to the defect imbalance. In contrast, high-level heavy ion damage was insufficient to induce the formation of voids in the helium-free region for the advanced ferritic/martensitic steel, but high density of helium bubbles with the swelling rate of ~0.0086%/dpa occurred in the helium preirradiation region. For the reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel, in comparison with the transitional and peak regions, preinjection helium promoted helium bubble nucleation and assisted swelling in the advanced ferritic/martensitic steel. Meanwhile, for the 316 steel, preinjection helium not only promoted nucleation of cavities but also retarded the swelling by depressing the growth of size and enhancement nucleation of small cavities. Graphical abstract: The figure provides the cross-sectional images of the bcc-RAFM steel after He ion preirradiation and after Ni ion irradiation. Importantly, the total absence of voids in the back half of the Ni ion range after observation carefully is the most unanticipated but a large number density of small voids in the helium preirradiation region. The finding indicates that ~300 peak dpa was insufficient to induce the formation of voids in the helium-free region, and it was most likely still in the swelling incubation regime, but high-appm helium irradiation could promote void nucleation and assist swelling. Image 1 Highlights: Swelling is suppressed in the peaked dpa region in 316 steel. High-appm helium irradiation could promote void nucleation in reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel. Preinjection helium retarded the swelling by depressing size in 316 steel.