Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T01:48:46.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Radiation-Induced Grain Boundary Segregation in Austenitic Stainless Steels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2011

S. M. Bruemmer
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA
L. A. Charlot
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA
J. S. Vetrano
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA
E. P. Simonen
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA
Get access

Abstract

Radiation-induced segregation (RIS) to grain boundaries in Fe-Ni-Cr-Si stainless alloys has been measured as a function of irradiation temperature and dose. Heavyion irradiation was used to produce damage levels from 1 to 20 displacements per atom (dpa) at temperatures from 175 to 550°C. Measured Fe, Ni, and Cr segregation increased sharply with irradiation dose (from 0 to 5 dpa) and temperature (from 175 to about 350°C). However, grain boundary concentrations did not change significantly as dose or temperatures were further increased. Although interfacial compositions were similar, the width of radiation-induced enrichment or depletion profiles increased consistently with increasing dose or temperature. Impurity segregation (Si and P) was also measured, but only Si enrichment appeared to be radiation-induced. Grain boundary Si peaked at levels approaching 8 at% after irradiation doses to 10 dpa at an intermediate temperature of 325°C. No evidence of grain boundary silicide precipitation was detected after irradiation at any temperature. Equilibrium segregation of P was measured in the high-P alloys, but interfacial concentration did not increase with irradiation exposure. Comparisons to reported RIS in neutronirradiated stainless steels revealed similar grain boundary compositional changes for both major alloying and impurity elements.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Okamoto, P. R. and Rehn, L. E., J. Nucl. Mater., 83, 2 (1979).Google Scholar
2. Andresen, P. L., Ford, F. P., Murphy, S. M., and Perks, J. M., in Proc. 4th Int. Sym. Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems – Water Reactors, eds. Cubicciotti, D. and Theus, G. J. (National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Houston, TX, 1990), p. 183.Google Scholar
3. Bruemmer, S. M. and Was, G. S., J. Nucl. Mater., 216, 326 (1994).Google Scholar
4. Perks, J. M., Marwick, A. D., and English, C. A., A Computer Code to Calculate Radiation-Induced Segregation in Concentrated Ternary Alloys, AERE-R-12121 (Harwell, Oxfordshire OX II ORA, June 1986).Google Scholar
5. Johnson, R. A. and Lam, N. Q., Physical Review B, 13, 4364 (1983).Google Scholar
6. Damcott, D. L., Was, G. S., and Bruemmer, S. M., “Radiation-Induced Segregation in Austenitic Stainless Steel,” Materials Research Society, these proceedings.Google Scholar
7. Simonen, E. P. and Bruemmer, S. M., “Radiation-Induced Segregation: A Microchemical Gauge to Quantify Fundamental Defect Parameters,” Materials Research Society, these proceedings.Google Scholar
8. Bruemmer, S. M., Merz, M. D., and Chariot, L.A., J. Nucl. Mater., 186, 13 (1991).Google Scholar
9. Bruemmer, S. M., Chariot, L. A., Arey, B. W., and Merz, M. D., Irradiation Effects on Grain Boundary Chemistry of Austenitic Stainless Steels, Final Report, Research Project 2680-09 (Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, 1991).Google Scholar
10. Carter, R. D., Damcott, D. L., Atzmon, M., Was, G. S., Bruemmer, S. M., and Kenik, E. A., in Proc. 6th Int. Symp. on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors. Gold, R. and Simonen, E. P., Eds. (TMS, 1993) p. 501.Google Scholar
11. Jacobs, A. J., in 16th ASTM Symp. Radiation Effects on Materials, STP 1175, (American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA, 1992).Google Scholar
12. Asano, K., Fukuya, K., Nakata, K., and Kodama, M., in Proc. 5th Int. Symp. on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, Cubicciotti, D., Simonen, E. P. and Gold, R., Eds. (American Nuclear Society, 1992) p. 838.Google Scholar
13. Bruemmer, S. M., Soran, T. F., Cole, J. I., Arey, B. W., Chariot, L. A., and Windisch, C. F. Jr, “Radiation-Induced Segregation of Impurities and Effects on the Electrochemistry of Nickel and Stainless Steel,” in Corrosion95 (National Association of Corrosion Engineers, 1995) Paper 420, in press.Google Scholar