Small defect clusters, and their behavior during annealing, were examined. A CP-304 SS alloy was irradiated with 3.2MeV protons to 0.17dpa at <75C. The increase in hardness after 0.17dpa at <75C was greater than that after 0.55dpa at 360C, but dropped significantly after annealing at 350C for short times; although no dislocation damage was observed using transmission electron microscopy. In the case of samples irradiated at 360C, the smallest dislocation loops and clusters were removed preferentially during annealing (500C, 0.75h). Computer simulations of the annealing behavior were performed for the data from both sets of experiments in order to gain further insight into the nature of small clusters.

Post-Irradiation Annealing of Small Defect Clusters. J.T.Busby, M.M.Sowa, G.S.Was, E.P.Simonen: Philosophical Magazine, 2005, 85[4-7], 609-17