Vacancy Type Defects Behavior in Materials Foreseen for Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Reactors

Full text: Liquid metal cooled fast reactors is a promising technology but sensitive for material resistance to radiation and chemical treatment in primary coolant area. The paper summaries research activities in last 20 years focused on distinct effects of flux and temperature on the behavior of nuclear materials which could be potentially applied in lead cooled reactors. Neutron treatment was experimentally simulated via Hydrogen ions implantation into near surface region of studied materials. This contribution reviews experimental positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) studies of various grades of advanced nuclear structural steels. The new results are compared with those from the earlier studies in order to distinguish between various processes involved in the formation of the microstructure of irradiated materials. (author)