Investigations were made of the properties of <100> split interstitials and vacancies in AISI316L stainless steel and related alloys. It was shown that many different microstructures could develop, and were formed by migrating <100> split interstitials and vacancies after plastic deformation, after quenching and after, or during, irradiation with high-energy particles. The microstructure was determined by using diffraction techniques, and the evolution kinetics of the microstructure were monitored by means of electrical resistometry. The self-diffusion coefficients in model stainless steels were determined by means of radio-active tracers. It was found that <100>-split interstitials and vacancies migrated in recovery stages III and IV, respectively, and that the activation energies for the migration of <100>-split interstitials and vacancies in these steels were equal to 0.9eV and 1.15eV, respectively, and varied slightly from sample to sample.

On Properties of Interstitials and Vacancies in Stainless Steels - a Review. W.Schule: Zeitschrift für Metallkunde, 2001, 92[4], 314-22