Hardness of Carburized Surfaces in 316LN Stainless Steel after Low Temperature Neutron Irradiation

Technical Report · Mon Jan 31 04:00:00 EST 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/885939· OSTI ID:885939

Byun, TS

A proprietary surface carburization treatment is being considered to minimize possible cavitation pitting of the inner surfaces of the stainless steel target vessel of the SNS. The treatment gives a large supersaturation of carbon in the surface layers and causes substantial hardening of the surface. To answer the question of whether such a hardened layer will remain hard and stable during neutron irradiation, specimens of the candidate materials were irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to an atomic displacement level of 1 dpa. Considerable radiation hardening occurred in annealed 316LN stainless steel and 20% cold rolled 316LN stainless steel, and lesser radiation hardening in Kolsterised layers on these materials. These observations coupled with optical microscopy examinations indicate that the carbon-supersaturated layers did not suffer radiation-induced decomposition and softening.

• Research Organization: ORNL
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 885939
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-2005/5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ATOMIC DISPLACEMENTS
CARBON
CARBURIZATION
CAVITATION
HARDENING
HARDNESS
HFIR REACTOR
IRRADIATION
NEUTRONS
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
RADIATION HARDENING
STAINLESS STEELS
SUPERSATURATION
TARGETS