THE STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OF NEW LOW-ACTIVATION AND CHROMIUM-NICKEL STAINLESS-STEELS UNDER HIGH-DOSE IRRADIATION UP TO 200 DPA

This paper deals with the evolution of the dislocation structure, phas e composition and vacancy voids in new reactor stainless steels over t he temperature interval from 500 degrees C to 700 degrees C under irra diation with electrons, neutrons and krypton ions up to high damaging doses (200 dpa). It is shown that the amount of voids formed in stainl ess steels exposed to irradiation with high-energy particles can be re duced by producing a high-density of direct and indirect sinks of poin t defects in the form of alpha/gamma phase boundaries and dispersed in termetallics (gamma' and alpha' phases in FCC and BCC steels, respecti vely) formed under irradiation. Compositions of radiation-resistant al loys, including low-activation ones of the Cr13Mn7W2 type having an au stenitic/martensitic lath structure, have been proposed. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.