Point Defect Behavior of Pressure Vessels Steels under HVEM Irradiation

Radiation hardening and embrittlement of A533B steels are controlled by formation of dislocation loop density.. To investigate the microstructural evolution of these materials, A533B steels and several Fe model alloys containing Mn, Si and Ni were irradiated by HVEM in the temperature range of room temp. to 673K. In all temperature range, formation of interstitial type dislocation loops as enhanced by Mn additions. From the temperature dependence of loop density, binding energy between Fe and Mn, is estimated as 0.22 eV