Mechanical properties and microstructure of advanced ferritic–martensitic steels used under high dose neutron irradiation

Abstract Some results of the study of mechanical properties and structure of ferritic–martensitic chromium steels with 13% and 9% chromium, irradiated in the BOR-60 reactor up to different damage doses are presented in this report. Results concerning the behaviour of commercial steels, containing to molybdenum, vanadium and niobium, and developed for the use in fusion reactors, are compared to low-activation steels in which W and Ta replaced Mo and Nb. It is shown that after irradiation to the dose of ∼10 dpa at 400°C 0.1C–9Cr–1W, V, Ta steels are prone to lower embrittlement as deduced from fracture surface observations of tensile specimens. Peculiarities of fine structure and fracture mode, composition and precipitation reactions in steels during irradiation are discussed.