The effects of irradiation and testing temperature on tensile behaviour ofstainless steels

Irradiated 304 and 316 stainless steel samples were investigated. The steel s were neutron irradiated to 1.5 and 7.5 dpa at 550 K. Similar types of ste els were irradiated at 550 K with 590 MeV protons in the PIREX facility at PSI, Switzerland. The doses reached in this case were 0.15 and 0.3 dpa. The stress-strain relationships at different temperatures were measured. The i rradiation and deformation microstructures were investigated using transmis sion electron microscopy (TEM). Two modes of deformation were found, twinni ng and channelling, depending on the testing temperature. These results are discussed in terms of deformation mechanisms at different temperatures cor related with radiation hardening. Finally, possible correlations between de formation modes and previous irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) studies are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.