Tensile behavior of helium charged V-Ti-Cr-Si type alloys

Helium effect on the mechanical properties of the alloy V-5Ti-5Cr-1Si-Al,Y (nominal) was studied, adopting various helium charging methods and helium-to-dpa ratio. The first method was helium ion implantation using a cyclotron accelerator at Tohoku University, where helium and displacement levels were about 50 appm and 0.02 dpa, respectively. The second, helium was charged by tritium trick technique and following neutron irradiation in FFTF/MOTA-2A, associated with about 80 appm He and 43 dpa. The third was dynamic helium charging experiment (DHCE) conducted in FFTF/MOTA-2B, where helium was generated within specimens during neutron irradiation by tritium decay, and the helium-to-dpa ratio was adjusted to simulate the fusion reactor condition, that is, 177 appm He and 24 dpa. The effect of helium on tensile properties of the V-Ti-Cr-Si-Al,Y alloy depended on the helium charging methods. The uniform elongation of the alloy was 3.2% and total elongation was 8.3% at DHCE condition, which was the most fusion relevant condition of the methods. It is important that tensile properties of the present alloy could be acceptable for fusion reactor component materials. (orig.)