Correlation of Microstructural Evolution in V-4Cr-4Ti by Heavy Ion and Neutron Irradiations

Abstract

The evolution of interstitial dislocation loops in V-4Cr-4Ti during heavy ion and neutron irradiation was investigated in comparison with that during electron irradiation at temperature ranging from 407 K to 673 K. Temperature and damage rate dependence of the loop number density by heavy ion and neutron irradiations agreed well with those by electron irradiation obeying Sink and Recombination Dominant kinetics at low and high temperature, respectively. Heavy ion and neutron irradiations induced higher loop number density than that of electron irradiation at 563-673 K. The difference may be attributed to cascade-enhanced vacancy loop formation.

Challenge to Performance Evaluation of Fusion Reactor Materials by Fission Neutron and Charged Particle Irradiation

“…Fig. 8 compares a microstructure of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy irradiated with heavy ions with a high dose rate and fission neutrons with a much lower dose rate [20]. In the case of heavy ion irradiation, uniformly distributed dislocation loops formed and grew, like typical microstructural evolution in pure metals.…”

Irradiation Hardening and Microstructure Study of MAX-Phase-Dispersion-Strengthened Vanadium Alloy under Self-Ion Irradiation

“…Both materials exhibit the growth of defect clusters with increasing irradiation dose. Such growth is characteristic of the microstructural evolution of metallic materials under ion irradiation [34]. The rapid growth of a dislocation loop occurs via the absorption of mobile clusters and point defects or merging with other dislocation loops [35,36].…”