Radiation Effects in Ferritic Steels and Advanced Ferritic-Martensitic Steels

Volume 6: Experiment Facility Spectrum Tailoring (HFIR Futures – Enhanced Capabilities Series)

“…Like fusion reactors, these fast-spectrum systems have different materials property changes compared to those that occur in a thermal reactor energy spectrum (i.e., light-water reactors). One primary change that requires study is helium embrittlement of nickel-based alloys in fast reactors (Griffiths 2020) and ferritic-martensitic (FM) steels in fusion reactors (Hashimoto 2020). Tailoring HFIR's neutron spectrum for fast fission reactor testing could be accomplished with the use of thermal neutron shielding (e.g., Eu 2 O 3 or Gd).…”

“…Obtaining fusion-typical spectrums is not as likely in HFIR because of the lack of neutrons at the >10 MeV range energy present in deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion systems that cause the helium embrittlement. This obstacle has been approached in the past by doping FM steels with either 10 B or 58 Ni, increasing the isotopic content of 54 Fe, pre-irradiation helium implantation, or performing high-energy proton irradiation at spallation neutron sources (Hashimoto 2020). Doping with 10 B or 58 Ni is less than ideal because the dopants affect the asmanufactured microstructure and mechanical properties.…”

“…The 54 Fe isotopic adjustment can be cost prohibitive, and helium implantation can alter the helium distribution that would develop in a fusion system. Also, the spallation exposures resulted in transmutation elements from the proton interactions that would not be present in fusion systems (Hashimoto 2020).…”

Investigation of Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance of Irradiated 12Cr Ferritic-Martensitic Stainless Steel in Supercritical Water Environment

“…In contrast to austenitic steels, radiation swelling, and high-temperature radiation embrittlement are not the dominant mechanisms of F/M steels degradation under conditions of the internal operation [ 30 ].…”