Microstructure and mechanical behavior of a TiC nanoprecipitate strengthened V Alloy

Ren, Qing-Qiang; Sprouster, David J.; Wang, Yanli; Chen, Xiang; Su, Yi-Feng; Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Snead, Lance L.; Byun, Thak Sang; Katoh, Yutai; Zinkle, Steven J.; Yang, Ying

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2025.149309

Title: Microstructure and mechanical behavior of a TiC nanoprecipitate strengthened V Alloy

Journal Article · Tue Oct 21 00:00:00 UTC 2025 · Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2025.149309 · OSTI ID:3008497

^[1];

^[2]; Wang, Yanli ^[1];

^[1]; Su, Yi-Feng ^[1]; Poplawsky, Jonathan D. ^[3]; Snead, Lance L. ^[2];

^[1]; Katoh, Yutai ^[1];

^[4]; Yang, Ying ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

The V-4Cr-4Ti (V44) alloys have been proposed as the prime candidate structural material for self-cooled liquid Li blanket and other designs for fusion energy applications. However, the applications of the V44 alloy are limited to a narrow operation temperature window, due to reduction in creep strength at or above 700 °C and susceptibility to irradiation hardening and embrittlement when irradiated below 400 °C. Here, in this work, we explore the feasibility of designing a novel V alloy to form a high number density of TiC nanoprecipitates, in order to simultaneously improve creep strength and provide defect sinks to mitigate irradiation hardening. Computational thermodynamics was used to design a new alloy (V44C) to achieve our goal of high TiC nanoprecipitates density within the alloy V44 matrix. To ensure scalability, the new alloy was made through arc-melting and ingot-casting followed by hot forging, cold rolling and heat treatments of homogenization and precipitation aging. The microstructure was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and APT, confirming the existence of nanoprecipitates predicted in the thermodynamic calculations. In addition to microstructural evaluation tensile properties at room temperature and 700 °C, and Charpy impact energy at room temperature were measured. The microstructure and mechanical properties were then compared with those from a historic reference V44 alloy. The tensile strength improvement in V44C was rationalized based on particle and solid solution strengthening mechanism. The fracture behavior was discussed based on the fractography results and necking deformation behavior.

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Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; SC0012704; SC0018332; SC0023293; SC0025887

OSTI ID:: 3008497

Journal Information:: Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing, Journal Name: Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing Vol. 948; ISSN 0921-5093

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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