| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2024 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Accelerated Qualification of Nuclear Materials Integrating Experiments, Modeling, and Theories
|
| Presentation Title |
E-2: Characterization of Proton Irradiation-induced Nanoscale Precipitates in Model Low Alloy Steels Using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Nanoindentation |
| Author(s) |
Alexandra Dickinson-Lomas, Luke Hewitt, Yu-Lung Chiu, Chris Hardie, Martin Freer |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Alexandra Dickinson-Lomas |
| Abstract Scope |
Understanding the mechanisms of embrittlement of structural steels operating in radiation environments is essential for the design of next-generation nuclear fission reactors and safe life-time extension of existing reactors. Existing studies have observed small radiation induced solute rich features in Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) steels, with diameters under 5 nm, making the essential structural characterisation and quantitative compositional analysis challenging. A surrogate 2.9MeV proton beam was used to irradiate a range of ferritic model RPV steels to 0.1 – 2.0 dpa, at about 400 °C , to investigate the effects of Mn, Ni and Si on precipitate formation and subsequent hardening. STEM-EDX and electron diffraction were used to identify the structures of the radiation-induced cubic precipitates observed in the size range of 20-50 nm. Nanoindentation measurements across the Bragg peak showed an increase in hardness and the results were linked to the TEM observations. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Characterization, Nuclear Materials, Iron and Steel |