High-resolution electron microscopy studies of the precipitation of copper under neutron irradiation in an Fe-1.3WT % Cu alloy.
We have studied by electron microscopy the copper-rich precipitates in an Fe-1.3wt%Cu model alloy irradiated with neutrons to doses of 8.61 x 10{sup {minus}3} dpa and 6.3 x 10{sup {minus}2} dpa at a temperature of {approximately}270 C. In the lower dose material a majority (ca. 60%)of the precipitates visible in high-resolution electron microscopy were timed 9R precipitates of size {approximately}2-4 nm, while ca. 40% were untwinned. In the higher dose material, a majority (ca. 75%) of visible precipitates were untwinned although many still seemed to have a 9R structure. The average angle {alpha} between the herring-bone fringes in the twin variants was measured as 125{degree}, not the 129{degree} characteristic of precipitates in thermally-aged and electron-irradiated material immediately after the bcc{r_arrow}9R martensitic transformation. We argue that these results imply that the bcc{r_arrow}9R transformation of small (<4 nm) precipitates under neutron irradiation takes place at the irradiation temperature of 270 C rather than after subsequent cooling. Preliminary measurements showed that precipitate sizes did not depend strongly on dose, with a mean diameter of 3.4 {+-} 0.7 nm for the lower dose material, and 3.0 {+-} 0.5 nm for the higher dose material. This result agrees with the previous assumption that the lack of coarsening in precipitates formed under neutron irradiation is a consequence of the partial dissolution of larger precipitates by high-energy cascades.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 10850
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/MSD/CP-96674; TRN: US0103881
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Materials Research Society, Boston, MA (US), 11/30/1998--12/04/1998; Other Information: PBD: 21 Dec 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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