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Depth Distribution Of Swelling In Ion‐Bombarded Stainless Steels
Author(s) -
Lauritzen T.,
Konze G. M.,
Bell W. L.,
Appleby W. K.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1979.tb00190.x
Subject(s) - swelling , materials science , irradiation , void (composites) , ion , composite material , microstructure , single displacement reaction , radiochemistry , metallurgy , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , nuclear physics
SUMMARY Nickel ion bombardment has been extensively used to simulate and study swelling caused by neutron irradiation induced void formation in stainless steels. We have developed techniques to utilize the variations in displacement damage with depth from the ion‐bombarded surface to obtain swelling measurements for differing total displacement doses and dose rates from a single specimen. These techniques are not only cost effective, but have the advantage of conserving scarce material in those experiments involving specimens bombarded after prior reactor irradiation. Nickel ions accelerated to 5 MeV have a range of about 1400 nm in stainless steel with the peak displacement damage occurring at a depth from the surface of approximately 900 nm. Thus, TEM examination of the microstructure at successive depths to 900 nm allows measurement of void swelling at various displacement doses. We accomplish this by stepped removal of the material in the plane normal to the incident ion beam. The ion entry surface is successively partially masked with lacquer and then ion milled to various depths. The foils are then perforated at the various depths by backthinning electrochemically. Results are presented which show the dose dependence of swelling obtained in this way for AISI 316 stainless steel bombarded to 115 dpa with up to 35% swelling. The results are compared and contrasted with dose dependencies of swelling obtained from examination of specimens separately bombarded to different peak doses up to 115 dpa.