Deuterium ion irradiation damage and deuterium trapping mechanism in candidate stainless steel material (JPCA2) for fusion reactor

An improved austenitic stainless steel (JPCA), a candidate material for fusion reactor, is irradiated at room temperature with deuterium ion beams. Desorption spectra of deuterium gas is measured at various increased temperatures and defects formed under irradiation are observed by transmission electron microscopy to determine the mechanism of the thermal release of deuteriums and the characteristics of irradiation-induced defects involved in the process. In the deuterium deportion spectra observed, five release stages are found to exist at 90 deg C, 160 deg C, 220 deg C, 300 deg C and 400 deg C, referred to as Stage I, II, III, IV and V, respectively. Stage I is interpreted as representing the release of deuteriums trapped in point defects (presumably vacancies) formed under irradiation. The energy of desorption from the trapping sites is estimated at 0.8 eV. Stage II is concluded to be associated with the release of deuteriums trapped in a certain kind of existing defects. Stage III involves the release of deuteriums that are trapped in dislocations, dislocation loops or dislocated portions of stacking fault tetrahedra. This release occurs significantly in processed materials and other materials irradiated with high energy ion beams that may cause cascade damage. Stage IV is interpreted in terms of thermal decomposition of small deuterium clusters. Stage V is associated with the decomposition of rather large deuterium clusters grown on the {111} plane. (Nogami, K.)