SEDL / STP / STP955-EB / STP33816S

Void-Precipitate Association During Neutron Irradiation of Austenitic Stainless Steel

Pedraza, DF
Research staff and development staff members, Metals and Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Maziasz, PJ
Research staff and development staff members, Metals and Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Pages: 34    Published: Jan 1987

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Abstract

Microstructural data have recently become available on a single heat of 316 stainless steel irradiated in EBR-II and HFIR, over a wide range of irradiation temperatures (55 to 750°C), doses (7 to 75 dpa), and several helium generation rates (0.5 to 55 atomic ppm He/dpa). Results on just one heat of steel minimize effects that may be related to compositional differences. In this work we present these data in order to offer a characterization of precipitate-void association within the context of the overall microstructural evolution. Observations on a second heat of steel are also presented here to allow us to assess which microstructural correlations are general. The analysis of experimental results leads us, first, to conclude that precipitate-void association is not only dependent upon local conditions at the precipitate interface but is also strongly related to the overall microstructural evolution. Second, we suggest a precipitation mechanism that helps to understand precipitate-void codevelopment.