SEDL / STP / STP955-EB / STP33860S

Spinodal-like Decomposition and Swelling Induced by Ion Irradiation in Simple Fe-Ni and Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys

Dodd, RA
Professor and graduate student, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Garner, FA
Fellow scientist, Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory, Richland, WA

Kai, J-J
Professor and graduate student, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Lauritzen, T
Engineer, General Electric Company, Sunnyvale, CA

Johnston, WG
Physicist, General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY

Pages: 17    Published: Jan 1987

Download this paper for $25 PDF (404K)          View License Agreement
Abstract

A previously published correlation between the compositional dependence of neutron-induced swelling at high temperatures in Fe-Ni-Cr alloys and the development of compositional micro-oscillations has also been found in this study of swelling induced by 5-MeV Ni⁺ ion irradiation. The tendency toward decomposition is strongest in the 35 to 45% nickel range and diminishes in the range of 60 to 75% nickel. Chromium appears to play no role other than as a surrogate for iron. The scale of the micro-oscillation appears to be more sensitive to temperature than displacement rate. One consequence of this decomposition is the occasional formation of precipitate phases upon cooling after irradiation. In Fe-35Ni, cellular martensite is found to form after irradiation at 625, 675, and 725°C. In Fe-60Ni-15Cr irradiated at 625°C an ordered phase that may be Ni³(Fe,Cr) is sometimes formed. The fortuitous formation of these phases allows the visualization of the size and spacing of the compositional modulations.