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Title: High dose ion irradiation response of large strain extrusion machined ultrafine grain HT-9 steel

Journal Article · · Journal of Nuclear Materials

Grain size refinement is one of the many methods to improve radiation resistance of steels. In this study, ultrafine grain HT-9 steel (grain size < ~270 nm), a potential candidate material for future nuclear fission reactor designs, was manufactured by large strain extrusion machining (LSEM). Radiation resistance of this ultrafine grain HT-9 steel was tested for the first time at high dose using a 3.5 MeV Fe ion beam up to 500 peak displacements-per-atom (dpa) at 450 °C. Results were characterized using a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although previous study on the pristine LSEM HT-9 showed that ultrafine grains are thermally stable up to 700 °C, irradiation induced grain growth was observed after 200 peak dpa. Grain boundary carbides were stable after 200 peak dpa with notable dissolution into the matrix in between 200 and 300 peak dpa. The grain size remained in the ultrafine regime (<350 nm) even after the 500 peak dpa irradiation indicating superior grain stability. LSEM HT-9 showed only 0.14 % swelling after 300 peak dpa (181 average local dpa) but showed a steeper rise after 400 peak dpa (242 average local dpa) reaching 1.57 %. However, the rate of swelling between 300 and 400 peak dpa and 400–500 peak dpa decreased significantly from 0.014 to 0.003 %/dpa. The LSEM HT-9 void swelling trend was compared with the void swelling data of other ion and neutron irradiated HT-9 alloys, and the result was discussed with respect to the irradiation induced grain growth, chemical segregation at the grain boundary and precipitation.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain. Fuel Cycle Research and Development Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001; AC05-76RL01830; AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
2529520
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--25-20580; PNNL-SA-203920
Journal Information:
Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Vol. 607; ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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