Microstructure Characterization and Hardening Evaluation of Ferrite/Martensitic Steels Induced by He<sup>2+</sup> Irradiation
Guangjie Zhang,
Junfeng Yang,
Zhuoming Xie,
Linchao Zhang,
Rui Liu,
Meng Sun,
Gang Li,
Hui Wang,
Yi Hu,
Xuebang Wu,
Qianfeng Fang,
Changsong Liu,
Xianping Wang
Affiliations
Guangjie Zhang
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Junfeng Yang
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Zhuoming Xie
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Linchao Zhang
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Rui Liu
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Meng Sun
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Gang Li
Science and Technology on Reactor Fuel and Materials Laboratory, Nuclear Power Institute of China, Chengdu 610041, China
Hui Wang
School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Yi Hu
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Xuebang Wu
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Qianfeng Fang
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Changsong Liu
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Xianping Wang
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Two ferrite/martensitic (F/M) steels with different Si concentrations (0 and 0.4 wt.%) were irradiated by 250 keV He2+ ions with different fluences of 2 × 1016 ions/cm2 and 1 × 1017 ions/cm2. Transmission electron microscopy and a nanoindenter were employed to investigate their microstructure evolution and irradiation hardening effects induced by high-energy He2+ ions. A large number of He bubbles formed in the Si-free and Si-containing F/M steels, which preferentially nucleated and grew at the lath and phase boundaries. Owing to the inhibiting effect of Si addition on He bubble growth, the He bubbles in the Si-containing sample exhibited smaller size and higher density at the same He2+ fluence. Nanoindenter measurement revealed that typical irradiation hardening was observed in the F/M steel, and 1/2 and type dislocation loops formed by He2+ irradiation was recognized as the dominant mechanism. The addition of Si induced an increase in the number density of dislocation loops, leading to the exacerbation of the irradiation hardening, and the results are basically in agreement with the theoretical analysis based on the dispersion barrier hardening (DBH) and Friedel–Kroupa–Hirsch (FKH) models.
