Helium effects on mechanical properties and microstructure of high fluence ion-irradiated RAFM steel

Reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels, RAFS, are leading candidates for the blanket and first wall of fusion reactors, and effects of displacement damage and helium production on mechanical properties and microstructures are important to these applications. Because it is the most effective way to obtain systematic and accurate information about microstructural response under fusion environment, single-(Fe3+) and dual-(Fe3+ + He+) irradiations were performed followed by TEM observation and nano-indentation hardness measurement. Dual-ion irradiation at 420 °C induced finer defect clusters compared to single-ion irradiation. These fine defect clusters caused large differences in the hardness increase between these irradiations. TEM analysis clarified that radiation induced precipitates were MX precipitates (M: Ta, W). Small defects invisible to TEM possibly caused the large increase in hardness, in addition to the hardness increment produced by radiation induced MX. In this work, radiation hardening and microstructural evolution accompanied by the synergistic effects to high fluences are discussed.