Swelling and structure of vanadium-base alloys irradiated in the dynamic helium charging experiment

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10107500· OSTI ID:10107500

Chung, H M; Loomis, B A; Smith, D L

Combined effects of dynamically charged helium and neutron damage on density change, void distribution, and microstructural evolution of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy have been determined after irradiation to 18--31 dpa at 425--600 C in the Dynamic Helium Charging Experiment (DHCE), and the results were compared with those from a non-DHCE in which helium generation and negligible. For specimens irradiated to {approx}18-31 dpa at 500--600 with a helium generation rate of 0.4--4.2 appm He/dpa, only a few helium bubbles were observed at the interface of grain matrices and some of the Ti(O,N,C) precipitates, and no microvoids or helium bubbles were observed either in grain matrices or near grain boundaries. Under these conditions, dynamically produced helium atoms seem to be trapped in the grain matrix without significant bubble nucleation or growth, and in accordance with this, density changes from DHCE and non-DHCE (negligible helium generation) were similar for comparable fluence and irradiation temperature. Only for specimens irradiated to {approx}31 dpa at 425 C, when helium was generated at a rage of 0.4--0.8 appm helium/dpa, were diffuse helium bubbles observed in limited regions of grain matrices and near {approx}15% of the grain boundaries in densities significantly lower than those in the extensive coalescences of helium bubbles typical of other alloys irradiated in tritium-trick experiments. Density changes of specimens irradiated at 425 C in the DHCE were significantly higher than those from non-DHCE irradiation. Microstructural evolution in V-4Cr-4Ti was similar for DHCE and non-DHCE except for helium bubble number density and distribution. As in non-DHCE, the irradiation-induced precipitation of ultrafine Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3} was observed for DHCE at >500 C but not at 425 C.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 10107500
• Report Number(s): ANL/ET/CP-82012; CONF-940657-8; ON: DE95004659; TRN: AHC29505%%131
• Resource Relation: Conference: 17. symposium on effects of radiation on materials,Sun Valley, ID (United States),20-23 Jun 1994; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
VANADIUM BASE ALLOYS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
TITANIUM ALLOYS
INTERSTITIAL HELIUM GENERATION
TITANIUM OXIDES
TITANIUM NITRIDES
TITANIUM CARBIDES
TITANIUM SILICIDES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MICROSTRUCTURE
360106
700480
RADIATION EFFECTS
COMPONENT DEVELOPMENT
MATERIALS STUDIES