Effects of La on Radiation Tolerance and Stability of La-Doped Nanocrystalline Steel

Nanostructured materials are potential candidates for structural materials in future nuclear reactors. An advanced nanostructured steel - La-doped nanocrystalline austenitic stainless steel (NC304-La) - is reported, in which excellent small grain size of ~45 nm is achieved and stabilized by the doped La element. Irradiations using 3.3 MeV Fe ions to 108 dpa (displacement per atom) at room temperature (RT) and 500℃ were carried out, and the microstructural evolution in NC304-La was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography focusing on the effects of La element on the radiation tolerance and stability of NC304-La.