Microstructural evolution in low alloy steels under high dose ion irradiation

Radiation hardening and microstructural evolution in low Cu A533B steels (0.03 wt% Cu) irradiated by 3 MeV Ni2+ ions at 290degC to 1 dpa were investigated by ultra-micro hardness measurement and leaser type three dimensional atom probe analysis. Mn-Ni-Si enriched precipitates were detected in the samples irradiated to 1 dpa by 3DAP analysis. The well-defined precipitates had a size of less than 4 nm, and the number density increased with dose. The formation of the precipitates under high dose rate irradiation suggested that Mn-Ni-Si enriched precipitates were formed by a process such as radiation induced precipitation rather than by thermal equilibrium process. The increase of yield stress calculated by size and number density of the precipitates in 1 dpa irradiated sample using the similar value of hardening efficiency to that of Cu rich precipitates was consistent with that estimated by data of increases of hardness measured by nano-indentation. The result indicates that effects of Mn-Ni-Si enriched precipitates on radiation embrittlement are similar to those of Cu rich precipitates. (author)