Effect of implanted helium on tensile properties and hardness of 9% Cr martensitic stainless steels

Hundred micrometer thick specimens of 9% Cr martensitic steels EM10 and T91 were homogeneously implanted with He4 to concentrations up to 0.5 at.% at temperatures from 150 to 550 °C. The specimens were tensile tested at room temperature and at the respective implantation temperatures. Subsequently the fracture surfaces were analysed by scanning electron microscopy and some of the specimens were examined in an instrumented hardness tester. The implanted helium caused hardening and embrittlement which both increased with increasing helium content and with decreasing implantation temperature. Fracture surfaces showed intergranular brittle appearance with virtually no necking at the highest implantation doses, when implanted below 250 °C. The present tensile results can be scaled to tensile data after irradiation in spallation sources on the basis of helium content but not on displacement damage. An interpretation of this finding by microstructural examination is given in a companion paper [J. Nucl. Mater., these Proceedings].