Dr Thomas Davis has published a paper in the Journal of Nuclear Materials entitled, ‘Nanocluster evolution and mechanical properties of ion irradiated T91 ferritic-martensitic steel’.
The T91 grade and similar 9Cr tempered-martensitic steels (also known as ferritic-martensitic) are leading candidate structural alloys for fast fission nuclear and fusion power reactors. Grade 91 (referred hereafter as T91) steel is a candidate for sodium and lead/lead-bismuth cooled advanced nuclear reactors. Similar reduced activation variants are candidates for structural components in future fusion power reactors.
Ion irradiation has been used to investigate the radiation-induced precipitation of nanoclusters and changes in mechanical properties of commercial-grade T91 ferritic-martensitic steel irradiated with Fe4+ ions up to 4.10 dpa at 301 – 311 °C (using the Dalton Cambrian Facility). The use of atom probe tomography and nanoindentation, when applied in tandem, have shown to provide an insight into how radiation-induced microstructural effects can explain the observed changes in mechanical properties.
Access the paper here.
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