Influence of carbon on the development of helium porosity in the Ni-C alloys irradiated by α-particles

The method of translucenceelectron microscopy and profilometry are used to study the effect of low carbon additions (from 0.001 to 0.1 mass%) on the development of helium porosity in nickel. It is found that after irradiation by α-particles with the energy of 29 MeV and isothermal annealings at 1170 and 1270 K for 2 hours gas porosity develops in alloys whose parameters depend on carbon concentration. The maximum swelling is observed in the Ni+0.01% C alloy. At this carbon concentration under the given experimental conditions the segregation of highly disperse phase precipitates on the surface of pores takes place, that is why the increase of carbon content from 0.01 to 0.1% results in swelling decrease