SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1999
STP13911S

The Consequences of Helium Production and Nickel Additions on Microstructural Development in Isotopically Tailored Ferritic Alloys

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A series of alloys have been made adding various isotopes of nickel in order to vary the production of helium during irradiation by a two step nuclear reaction in a mixed spectrum reactor. The alloys use a base composition of Fe-12Cr with an addition of 1.5% nickel, either in the form of 60Ni which produces no helium, 59Ni which produces helium at a rate of about 10 appm He/dpa, or natural nickel which provides an intermediate level of helium due to delayed development of 59Ni. Specimens were irradiated in the HFIR at Oak Ridge, TN to 7.5 dpa at 300 and 400°C. Microstructural examinations indicated that nickel additions promote precipitation in all alloys, but the effect appears to be much stronger at 400°C than at 300°C. There is sufficient dose by 7 dpa (and with 2 appm He) to initiate void swelling in ferritic/martensitic alloys. Little difference was found between response from 59Ni and natural nickel. Also, helium bubble development for high helium generation conditions appeared to be very different at 300 and 400°C. At 300°C, it appeared that high densities of bubbles formed whereas at 400°C, bubbles could not be identified, possibly because of the complexity of the microstructure, but more likely because helium accumulated at precipitate interfaces.

Author Information

Gelles, DS
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
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Details
Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 899–910
DOI: 10.1520/STP13911S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5395-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-2614-5