Nanostructure Evolution of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Steels under Fe Ion Irradiation at 350°C

Improved mechanical properties of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels, the advanced materials for the reactor core, are due to the high density of uniformly distributed nanosized oxide inclusions. Transformation of the nanostructure of ODS steels under irradiation determines their stability during operation in the reactor conditions. In this work, three ODS steels are studied: Eurofer ODS, 10Cr ODS, and KP-3 ODS with different alloying systems. In these steels, the chromium content varies from 9 to 14 at %; such alloying elements as V, Ti, Al, W, and Mn are present in different proportions. The effect of irradiation with iron ions up to 3, 6, and 30 dpa at a temperature of 350°C was studied. The radiation-induced changes were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Although the sizes of oxide inclusions remained almost without change under irradiation, a decrease in their number density was observed in 10Cr ODS and KP-3 ODS steels, while the number density of oxides in Eurofer ODS steel did not change under the irradiation to 30 dpa. On the whole, the strengthening of the ODS steels due to inclusions during the irradiation to 30 dpa at 350°C changed insignificantly, which indicates their radiation resistance and their low propensity for low-temperature radiation strengthening and embrittlement.