PROTON IRRADIATION SIMULATION OF MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OF SOLUTION ANNEALED 304 AND COLD-WORKED 316 DURING IRRADIATION IN PWRS
Solution annealed (SA) 304 and cold-worked (CW) 316 austenitic stainless steels were irradiated with protons in order to study the potential effects of helium, irradiation dose, and irradiation temperature on microstructural evolution, especially void swelling, with relevance to the behavior of austenitic core internals in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). These steels were irradiated at 300 C with 1 MeV protons at doses up to 10 dpa. Both steels were irradiated either with or without 15 appm helium pre-implantation. Irradiation was also conducted at 340 C, but only with 15 appm helium pre-implantation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that small, heterogeneously distributed voids were observed in both alloys at 300 C, but only after helium pre-implantation. At 340 C, however, both SA 304 and CW 316 steels exhibited homogeneous void formation, suggesting a significant role of both helium and irradiation temperature in void nucleation. Compared with CW 316 voids developed sooner in the SWA 304 alloy at 300 and 340 C, consistent with the behavior observed at higher temperature (>370 C) in the EBR-II fast reactor, but the development of the Frank loop microstructure with increasing exposure with similar in both alloys. Helium pre-implantation had a measurable effect on the details of Frank loop formation.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 860060
- Report Number(s):
- PNWD-SA-6009
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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