Void denuded zone formation for Fe-15Cr-15Ni steel and PNC316 stainless steel under neutron and electron irradiations

Sekio, Yoshihiro  ; Yamashita, Shinichiro   ; Sakaguchi, Norihito*; Takahashi, Heishichiro*

Irradiation-induced void denuded zone (VDZ) formation near grain boundaries was studied to clarify the effects of minor alloying elements on vacancy diffusivity during irradiation in PNC316 steel. The test materials were Fe-15Cr-15Ni steel without additives and PNC316 stainless steel, which contains minor alloying elements. These steels were neutron-irradiated in the experimental fast reactor JOYO and electron-irradiation was also carried out using 1 MeV high voltage electron microscopy. VDZ formation was analyzed from the TEM microstructural observations after irradiation. VDZs were formed near random grain boundaries in both Fe-15Cr-15Ni and PNC316 steels. The VDZ widths in the PNC316 steel were narrower than those for the Fe-15Cr-15Ni steel for all neutron and electron irradiations. The VDZ width analysis implied that the vacancy diffusivity was reduced in PNC316 steel as a result of interaction of vacancies with minor alloying elements.