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Formation of a high density of Mn–Ni–Si nanoscale precipitates in irradiated Cu-free and Cu-bearing reactor pressure vessel steels could lead to severe unexpected embrittlement. Models long ago predicted that these precipitates, which are not treated in current embrittlement prediction models, would emerge only at high fluence. However, the mechanisms and variables that control Mn–Ni–Si precipitate formation, and their detailed characteristics, have not been well understood. High flux irradiations of six steels with systematic variations in Cu and Ni contents were carried out at ∼295 °C to high and very high neutron fluences of ∼1.3 × 10 20 and ∼1.1 × 10 21 n cm −2 . Atom probe tomography shows that significant mole fractions of Mn–Ni–Si-dominated precipitates form in the Cu-bearing steels at ∼1.3 × 10 20 n cm −2 , while they are only beginning to develop in Cu-free steels. However, large mole fractions of these precipitates, far in excess of those found in previous studies, are observed at 1.1 × 10 21 n cm −2 at all Cu contents. At the highest fluence, the precipitate mole fractions primarily depend on the alloy Ni, rather than Cu, content. The Mn–Ni–Si precipitates lead to very large increases in measured hardness, corresponding to yield strength elevations of up to almost 700 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-service exposure to high-energy neutrons embrittles reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. An increase in the yield stress (Δσ y) results in a corresponding increase in the brittle to ductile transition temperature (ΔT c). Most existing models underpredict ΔT c at higher fluence following accelerated irradiations in test reactors. High fluence, up to 1020 n/cm2 in some cases, will be reached over extended RPV vessel operation of 80 years, or more, at low service flux. Embrittlement has been extensively studied in accelerated, higher flux test reaction irradiations. However, the use of test reactor data naturally raises the question of flux effects. This study used a machine learning approach trained on a set of hardening data, covering a wide range of flux, fluence, and steel compositions to determine the interactive effects of both irradiation and material variables on Δσ y. The analysis included machine learning-based cross-plots of the variable dependence of Δσ y for six core steels (i.e., CM6, LC, LD, LG, LH, and LI), with controlled differences in their Cu and Ni contents. A primary objective is to evaluate an effective to actual fluence (ɸt e /ɸt) ratio, as a function of flux, fluence, and steel composition. This is information critical to properly use intermediate flux-high fluence data in calibrating a low flux-high fluence embrittlement model. The predicted ɸt e /ɸt is reasonably consistent with estimates previously derived from a physics-based solute recombination trap model. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) contain an ultra-high density of 2–4 nm fcc pyrochlore Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 nano-oxides (NOs) embedded in a bcc Fe-14Cr ferritic matrix. Characterization of helium interactions with NOs and associated Fe-Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 interfaces is important to the development of structural materials for nuclear fusion and fission applications. A benchmark 14YWT NFA was first annealed to coarsen the NOs, then insoluble helium was implanted at 700 °C to produce a high number density of bubbles. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization shows two dominant Fe-Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 crystallographic orientation relationships (cube-on-edge and cube-on-cube). The smallest NOs (≈ 2 nm) are associated with the smaller bubbles (≈ 1.5 nm), while some of the largest NOs (> 6 nm) have larger, and sometimes multiple, bubbles. NO corner {111} facets are the preferred sites for He bubble nucleation. A refined sequence of events for He trapping and bubble formation is presented. These observations offer new insight on He management in NFAs, and provide a foundation for detailed modeling studies. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irradiation effects are studied using accelerated-damage experiments in test reactors and charged-particle accelerator facilities. Neutrons and ions create vacancy and self-interstitial defects, in dose unit of displacements per atom (dpa). It is important to understand the effects of irradiation dose rate on microstructural evolution processes, including irradiation enhanced precipitation, to properly interpret results from experiments using accelerated-damage experiments. Here we report on precipitation in Fe-Cu and Fe-Cu-Mn model alloys irradiated at dose rates ranging from ∼10 −10 dpa/s (neutrons) to ∼10 −5 dpa/s (70 MeV Fe ions). Atom probe tomography, small angle neutron scattering, and rate theory models show that precipitation is affected by both dose rate and alloy composition. Higher dose rates: 1) decrease the efficiency of radiation enhanced diffusion, due to increased vacancy-self interstitial recombination; and, 2) increase the rate of ballistic mixing that partly dissolves the precipitate constituents. The key parameter is the rate of ballistic mixing relative to the rate that solutes are reacquired by diffusion. The Mn in the ternary alloy traps vacancies and enhances recombination, leading to very different precipitate evolution kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]