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Title: Neutron energy spectrum influence on irradiation hardening and microstructural development of tungsten

Abstract

We performed a neutron irradiation to single crystal pure tungsten in the mixed spectrum High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). In order to investigate the influences of neutron energy spectrum, the microstructure and irradiation hardening were compared with previous data obtained from the irradiation campaigns in the mixed spectrum Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR) and the sodium-cooled fast reactor Joyo. The irradiation temperatures were in the range of ~90–~800 °C and fast neutron fluences were 0.02–9.00 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV). Post irradiation evaluation included Vickers hardness measurements and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the hardness and microstructure changes exhibited a clear dependence on the neutron energy spectrum. The hardness appeared to increase with increasing thermal neutron flux when fast fluence exceeds 1 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV). Finally, irradiation induced precipitates considered to be χ- and σ-phases were observed in samples irradiated to >1 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV), which were pronounced at high dose and due to the very high thermal neutron flux of HFIR. Although the irradiation hardening mainly caused by defects clusters in a low dose regime, the transmutation-induced precipitation appeared to impose additional significant hardening of the tungsten.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [1]
  1. Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1279401
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1359425
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; 15H06030
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Nuclear Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 479; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Tungsten; Neutron irradiation; Irradiation hardening; Microstructure; Neutron spectrum effect; HFIR; JMTR; Joyo

Citation Formats

Fukuda, Makoto, Kiran Kumar, N. A. P., Koyanagi, Takaaki, Garrison, Lauren M., Snead, Lance L., Katoh, Yutai, and Hasegawa, Akira. Neutron energy spectrum influence on irradiation hardening and microstructural development of tungsten. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2016.06.051.
Fukuda, Makoto, Kiran Kumar, N. A. P., Koyanagi, Takaaki, Garrison, Lauren M., Snead, Lance L., Katoh, Yutai, & Hasegawa, Akira. Neutron energy spectrum influence on irradiation hardening and microstructural development of tungsten. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2016.06.051
Fukuda, Makoto, Kiran Kumar, N. A. P., Koyanagi, Takaaki, Garrison, Lauren M., Snead, Lance L., Katoh, Yutai, and Hasegawa, Akira. 2016. "Neutron energy spectrum influence on irradiation hardening and microstructural development of tungsten". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2016.06.051. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1279401.
@article{osti_1279401,
title = {Neutron energy spectrum influence on irradiation hardening and microstructural development of tungsten},
author = {Fukuda, Makoto and Kiran Kumar, N. A. P. and Koyanagi, Takaaki and Garrison, Lauren M. and Snead, Lance L. and Katoh, Yutai and Hasegawa, Akira},
abstractNote = {We performed a neutron irradiation to single crystal pure tungsten in the mixed spectrum High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). In order to investigate the influences of neutron energy spectrum, the microstructure and irradiation hardening were compared with previous data obtained from the irradiation campaigns in the mixed spectrum Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR) and the sodium-cooled fast reactor Joyo. The irradiation temperatures were in the range of ~90–~800 °C and fast neutron fluences were 0.02–9.00 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV). Post irradiation evaluation included Vickers hardness measurements and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the hardness and microstructure changes exhibited a clear dependence on the neutron energy spectrum. The hardness appeared to increase with increasing thermal neutron flux when fast fluence exceeds 1 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV). Finally, irradiation induced precipitates considered to be χ- and σ-phases were observed in samples irradiated to >1 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV), which were pronounced at high dose and due to the very high thermal neutron flux of HFIR. Although the irradiation hardening mainly caused by defects clusters in a low dose regime, the transmutation-induced precipitation appeared to impose additional significant hardening of the tungsten.},
doi = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2016.06.051},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1279401}, journal = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},
issn = {0022-3115},
number = C,
volume = 479,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Sat Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Cited by: 53 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Controlled irradiation hardening of tungsten by cyclic recrystallization
journal, May 2019


PHENIX U.S.-Japan Collaboration Investigation of Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Thermal Neutron–Shielded Irradiated Tungsten
journal, May 2019


Pre-Irradiation Comparison of W-Based Alloys for the PHENIX Campaign: Microstructure, Composition, and Mechanical Properties
journal, May 2019


Controlled irradiation hardening of tungsten by cyclic recrystallization
text, January 2019