The origins of tritium and helium effects on the tensile properties of metals

Conference · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Fusion Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5048976

Robinson, S L; Yang, N Y.C. ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States)

In this paper, the effects of internal tritium and helium on the tensile properties of two austenitic stainless steels and an iron-based superalloys have been studied. The materials tested were, forged 21 Cr-6Ni-9Mn and 304L (tested in the annealed condition and tow forged conditions), and a modified A-286 alloy. The accumulation of {sup 3}He from the radioactive decay of tritium caused an increase in the yield strength and a continuous decrease in the ductility in almost all materials tested. Increased {sup 3}He concentrations also caused a change in fracture mode form ductile rupture to predominantly intergranular fracture. The property changes resulted from {sup 3}He bubble-induced strengthening, which produced a change in deformation mode form long-range dislocation activity to deformation twinning. In the deformation-twinning mode, the {sup 3}He-accelerated fracture initiated at the intersections of deformation twins with grain boundaries. High-strength forged 304L was most resistant to {sup 3}He effects owing to the redistribution of {sup 3}He on dislocations.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5048976
• Report Number(s): CONF-910920-; CODEN: FUSTE
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology; (United States), Vol. 21; Conference: 4. topical meeting on tritium technology in fission, fusion, and isotopic applications, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 29 Sep - 4 Oct 1991; ISSN 0748-1896
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Ma
AUSTENITIC STEELS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
HELIUM 3
DEPOSITION
IRON ALLOYS
TRITIUM
RADIOACTIVITY
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
DUCTILITY
FRACTURES
GASKETS
MANGANESE ALLOYS
METALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
STAINLESS STEELS
TWINNING
ALLOYS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FAILURES
HELIUM ISOTOPES
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IRON BASE ALLOYS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SEALS
STABLE ISOTOPES
STEELS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
360103* - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties
700480 - Fusion Technology- Component Development
Materials Studies- (1992-)