Irradiation damage in nuclear reactor steels/ a comprehensive approach of the solute cluster formation using ion irradiation simulations for the defect production

摘要

Vessel and internal core steels of nuclear power reactors are subjected to energetic neutron irradiation. The production of point defects in the material results from elastic collisions in displacement cascades. At a microscopic scale, changes in the microstructure and local microchemistry are observed in both steels. At the global scale, a shift in the transient ductile to brittle temperature of vessel steels is observed, as well as an increase in the Irradiated Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) susceptibility (and global strength/hardening of the material) of internal core stainless steels. Also, at the nanometric scale, radiation induced phase transformation occurs in both steels.