A study on void swelling of stainless steel by electron irradiation

Void formation in SUS304 modified with nitrogen was investigated, as a simulation of neutron irradiation, in a high voltage electron microscope in the temperature range 400 to 6000C. Nitrogen affected mainly the incubation period of the swelling. The incubation period once decreased by nitrogen addition, but then increased with the increase of nitrogen content. Nitrogen also affected the void number density, but it had almost no effects on the void growth rate. The swelling of SUS304 was recognized to be suppressed by nitrogen addition. In the case of 6000C irradiation the secondary void nucleation was observed among the existing void. (author)