Interactions between dislocations and interstitial impurity atoms led to strain aging phenomenon in ferritic steels that were affected by the defects produced during neutron radiation exposure. Results were presented of static strain aging in a Si-killed mild steel before and after neutron irradiation. It was noted that the degree of strain aging (as measured by the yield point following restraining) decreased with increasing neutron dose resulting in essentially non-aging type at the highest dose (about 1019/cm2). The strain aging kinetics were investigated using data at various aging temperatures and were found to be unaffected by the neutron radiation exposure. These experimental results were compared to those observed in dry H-treated (partially de-nitrided) samples and were correlated with models on Cottrell locking.

Static Strain Aging and Dislocation–Impurity Interactions in Irradiated Mild Steel. K.L.Murty, I.Charit: Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2008, 382[2-3], 217-22