The Clustering of Cu Atoms in Neutron Irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels Studied by Positron Annihilation

Jakub Čížek; Ivan Procházka; Jan Kocik

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/DDF.273-276.81

Paper Titles

Growth Kinetics of Al-Si-Fe Intermetallics during Hot Dipping of Steel
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Production of Electrical Steel by Hot Dipping in Aluminium
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Microstructure Characterization by EBSD of Hot Rolled High-Silicon Steel
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The Enhanced Kinetics of Precipitation Effects in Ultra Fine Grained Mg Alloys Prepared by High Pressure Torsion
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The Clustering of Cu Atoms in Neutron Irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels Studied by Positron Annihilation
p.81

Modeling of Flow and Transport Processes Occurred in a Typical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC)
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Limits to N-Type Doping in Ge: Formation of Donor-Vacancy Complexes
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Co Anomalous Growth Kinetics of the CoSi Reaction Layer in a Si/System
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Intrinsic Diffusivities and Modeling of the Diffusion Multiples
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The Clustering of Cu Atoms in Neutron Irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels Studied by Positron Annihilation

Abstract:

Defect studies of neutron-irradiated Cr-Mo-V (VVER-440) type reactor pressure vessel steels were performed in the present work. The steels were irradiated in the nuclear power plant reactor under the conditions of a regular operation. Characterization of the irradiation induced defects was performed by two complementary techniques of positron annihilation spectroscopy: (i) positron lifetime spectroscopy was used for identification of defects and determination of defect densities, (ii) coincidence Doppler broadening was employed for investigation of Cu atom aggregates. Long range diffusion of Cu atoms is assisted by the irradiation induced vacancies. The solute Cu atoms form small clusters in the irradiated steels. Subsequent isochronal annealing of the irradiated steel leads to vacancy assisted clustering of Cu atoms and formation of small precipitates. The Cu clusters exhibit maximum diameter at 400oC. Above this temperature the clusters dissolve again in the matrix.