Li He

Two Co-free multi-principal-element alloys (MPEAs), viz. single-phase face-centered cubic (FCC) Fe30Ni30Mn30Cr10 and (Fe30Ni30Mn30Cr10)94Ti2Al4 (all in atomic percent) with FCC matrix containing Ni-Ti-Al enriched L12 (ordered FCC) secondary phase (γ′), have been developed and investigated. The alloys were ion irradiated at 300°C and 500°C to peak damage of 120 displacements per atom (dpa). Compared with the (Fe30Ni30Mn30Cr10)94Ti2Al4 alloy, in the Fe30Ni30Mn30Cr10 alloy, the dislocation loops were smaller, with a higher number density. The difference in loop size between the two MPEAs was attributed to the addition of Ti to the matrix, which was anticipated to lower the stacking fault energy and stabilize the faulted Frank loops. The γ′ phase showed good stability under irradiation, with no new γ′ precipitation or growth in existing precipitates. Both alloys showed similar irradiation-induced hardening at 300°C, but the (Fe30Ni30Mn30Cr10)94Ti2Al4 alloy exhibited lower irradiation-induced hardening at 500°C compared with the Fe30Ni30Mn30Cr10 alloy.

Irradiation induced phase transformation of γ-austenite to α-ferrite has been observed in austenitic steels for the past several decades. This transformation can be detrimental to structural materials in a nuclear reactor environment as the increased fraction of the ferritic phase can increase corrosion and embrittlement and lead to stress corrosion cracking. This transformation is caused by both strain induced martensite transformation as well as radiation induced segregation and precipitation. In this study, two radiation tolerant nanostructured 304L austenitic steels (one ultrafine grained and one nanocrystalline) were manufactured using severe plastic deformation. These nanostructured 304L steels were compared to conventional coarse-grained 304L, after self-ion irradiation at 500°C up to a peak damage of 50 displacements per atom. Phase fraction after irradiation was analyzed using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, precession electron diffraction, and electron backscatter diffraction. Nanostructured 304L steels showed significant resistance to irradiation induced austenite to ferrite transformation. This resistance was shown to be due to a decrease in defect formation, as well as a reduction in radiation induced segregation and precipitation.