TY - JOUR

T1 - Void evolution in tungsten and tungsten-5wt.% tantalum under in-situ proton irradiation at 800 and 1000°C

AU - Ipatova, I.

AU - Harrison, R.W.

AU - Donnelly, S.E.

AU - Rushton, M.J.D.

AU - Middleburgh, S.C.

AU - Jimenez-Melero, E.

PY - 2019/12/1

Y1 - 2019/12/1

N2 - We have probed void evolution in polycrystalline W and W-5wt.%Ta material at 800 and 1000 °C, by transmission electron microscopy during in-situ irradiation with a 40 keV proton beam. The presence of radiation-induced dislocation loops was not observed prior to void formation at those elevated temperatures. The damaged W microstructure was characterised by the presence of a population of randomly distributed voids, whose number density reduces when the irradiation temperature increases. Soft impingement of voids becomes noticeable at damage levels ≥0.2 dpa. In contrast, the excess of free vacancies in the W-5wt.%Ta material irradiated at 800 °C only leads to the formation of visible voids in this TEM study (≥2 nm) after post-irradiation annealing of the sample at 1000 °C. Solute Ta atoms also cause a significant increase in the number density of voids when comparing the microstructure of both materials irradiated at 1000 °C, and a gradual progression towards saturation in average void size at ≥0.2 dpa. Moreover, we have detected a progressive transition from a spherical to a faceted shape in a number of voids present in both materials at damage levels ≥0.3 dpa.

AB - We have probed void evolution in polycrystalline W and W-5wt.%Ta material at 800 and 1000 °C, by transmission electron microscopy during in-situ irradiation with a 40 keV proton beam. The presence of radiation-induced dislocation loops was not observed prior to void formation at those elevated temperatures. The damaged W microstructure was characterised by the presence of a population of randomly distributed voids, whose number density reduces when the irradiation temperature increases. Soft impingement of voids becomes noticeable at damage levels ≥0.2 dpa. In contrast, the excess of free vacancies in the W-5wt.%Ta material irradiated at 800 °C only leads to the formation of visible voids in this TEM study (≥2 nm) after post-irradiation annealing of the sample at 1000 °C. Solute Ta atoms also cause a significant increase in the number density of voids when comparing the microstructure of both materials irradiated at 1000 °C, and a gradual progression towards saturation in average void size at ≥0.2 dpa. Moreover, we have detected a progressive transition from a spherical to a faceted shape in a number of voids present in both materials at damage levels ≥0.3 dpa.

M3 - Article

VL - 526

JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials

JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials

SN - 0022-3115

M1 - 151730

ER -