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Proton irradiation at temperatures of 310 and 350° C has been explored as a method of studying radiation effects in Zircaloy 4 under power-reactor conditions. The dislocation-loop and hardness evolution are similar to those observed under neutron irradiation. Amorphization and Fe loss at Zr(Cr,Fe)2 precipitates are observed. Energy-filtered images indicate Fe accumulation in the matrix near the precipitate, a phenomenon not reported in neutron-irradiated alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress in understanding radiation damage in structural materials is hampered by the lack of test reactors, long irradiations and high cost. Here we show that through strict control of experimental parameters and accounting for He production and damage-rate differences, the microstructure of ion-irradiated ferritic-martensitic steel closely resembles that created in-reactor across the full range of microstructure features. The level of agreement establishes for the first time the capability to tailor ion irradiation to emulate in-reactor radiation damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]