Measurement of helium production cross sections of stainless steels for 14 MeV neutrons

Helium production cross sections of the austenitic stainless steels, Type 316 stainless steel, JPCA, and JPCA2, and the ferritic/martensitic stainless steels, HT-9, and JFMS have been measured for 14.5 MeV neutrons, employing a helium accumulation method. The measured effective cross sections range from 52 to 59 mb with ±8% error and have been compared with the composite values which are calculated from measured or estimated He production cross sections for individual constituent elements. The measured effective cross sections agree well with the composite cross sections. The contributions from constituent elements to the composite cross sections were compared. As a result, the comparison shows that the carbon content of the stainless steel has a significant effect on the He production rate. (author)