Mn-Ni-Si precipitates (MNSPs) are known to be responsible for irradiation-induced hardening and embrittlement in structural alloys used in nuclear reactors. Studies have shown that precipitation of the MNSPs in 9-Cr ferritic-martensitic (F-M) alloys, such as T91, is strongly associated with heterogeneous nucleation on dislocations, coupled with radiation-induced solute segregation to these sinks. Therefore it is important to develop advanced predictive models for Mn-Ni-Si precipitation in F-M alloys under irradiation based on an understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Here we use a cluster dynamics model, which includes multiple effects of dislocations, to study the evolution of MNSPs in a commercial F-M alloy T91. The model predictions are calibrated by data from proton irradiation experiments at 400 °C. Radiation induced solute segregation at dislocations is evaluated by a continuum model that is integrated into the cluster dynamics simulations, including the effects of dislocations as heterogeneous nucleation sites. The result shows that MNSPs in T91 are primarily irradiation-induced and, in particular, both heterogeneous nucleation and radiation-induced segregation at dislocations are necessary to rationalize the experimental observations. We followed the kinetic equations developed by Slezov and Schmelzer [1-4] to describe nucleation-growth processes of diffusional phase transformations in multicomponent systems. The model assumes that the Mn-Ni-Si-rich phases can be treated as pure Mn-Ni-Si phases, with no other alloying elements. With the assumption that only monomers can migrate, the discrete cluster size distributions are governed by the coupled master equations: ( ) 1 , n n f n t J J t −

Radiation-enhanced precipitation of Cr-rich α' in irradiated Fe-Cr alloys, which results in hardening and embrittlement, depends on the irradiating particle and the displacement per atom (dpa) rate. Here, we utilize a Cahn-Hilliard phase-field based approach, that includes simple models for nucleation, irradiating particle and rate dependent radiation-enhanced diffusion and cascade mixing to simulate α' evolution under neutrons, heavy ions, and electron irradiations. Different irradiating particles manifest very different cascade mixing efficiencies. The model was calibrated using neutron data. For cascade inducing neutron/heavy-ion dpa rates at 300 °C between 10 -8 and 10 -6 dpa/s the model predicts approximately constant number density, decreasing radius, decreasing α' Cr composition, and lower α' volume fraction. The model then predicts a dramatic transition to no α'formation above approximately 10 -5 dpa/s, while electron irradiation, with weak mixing, had little effect at dpa rates up to 10 -3 dpa/s. These model predictions are consistent with experiments. We explain the results in terms of the flux dependence of the radiation enhanced diffusion, cascade mixing, and their ratio, which all vary significantly in relevant flux ranges for neutron and cascade inducing ion irradiations. These results show that both cascade mixing and radiation enhanced diffusion must be accounted for when attempting to emulate neutron-irradiation effects using accelerated ion irradiations. flux effects by triple-beam ions at 450 °C to 10 dpa [17]. Pareige et al. recently reported an APT study of Fe-12Cr under heavy-ion irradiation at 1×10 -4 dpa/s at 300 °C that observed a low density of dilute Cr clusters after irradiation to 0.5 dpa [18]. Likewise, Marquis et al. [19] found no α' in Fe-15Cr irradiated by Fe ++ ions at a dose rate of 1×10 -4 dpa/s up to 60 dpa at 300 °C, but observed a small density clusters with only 35-50 at.% Cr in in a Fe-15Cr at a lower dose rate of ≈ 1×10 -5 dpa/s, suggesting a pronounced dose rate effect [19]. Korchuganova et al. carried out a heavy-ion irradiation at room temperature on a Fe-22Cr alloy that was pre-aged at 500 °C to form α' precipitates with a distribution of sizes [20]. APT showed that the heavy-ion irradiation dissolved the small preexisting α' precipitates and made the larger ones more diffuse. A similar effect of heavy-ion irradiation was also shown to retard spinodal decomposition of Cr-rich α' in a duplex stainless steel with 20 wt.% Cr at 300 °C [21]. In contrast to the heavy-ion irradiation microstructures, Tissot et al. reported that a 3.9×10 -5 dpa/s electron irradiation at 300 °C accelerated precipitation of near equilibrium α' [22]. Accelerated α' precipitation under neutron irradiation has been attributed to radiation-enhanced diffusion (RED). RED depends on both temperature and dose rate due to the corresponding effect on vacancy and self-interstitial atom recombination mediated concentrations through a variety of mechanisms. However, a dose rate effect on RED does not full...

The development of reliable bonding materials for PbTe-based thermoelectric modules that can undergo long-term operations at high temperature is carried out. Two cost-effective materials, Cu and Ag, are isothermally hot-pressed to PbTe-based thermoelectric materials at 550 1C for 3 h under a pressure of 40 MPa by the rapid hot-pressing method. Scanning electron microscopy, electron probe micro-analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis are employed to identify intermetallic compounds, chemical reactions, and microstructure evolution after the initial assembly and subsequent isothermal aging at 400 1C and 550 1C. We find that Cu diffuses faster than Ag in PbTe. Neither Cu nor Ag is a good bonding material because they both react vigorously with Pb 0.6 Sn 0.4 Te. In order to be able to use Cu electrodes, it would be necessary to insert a diffusion barrier to prevent Cu diffusion into PbTe.