Small Angle Scattering Study Concerning the Effect of Residual Elements on the Radiation Behaviour of Iron Alloys

For better understanding of the influence of the deleterious elements on the neutron embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steels, the microstructural evolution due to neutron irradiation was investigated by SANS experiments at ternary iron alloys with different contents of copper and phosphorus. In every case irradiation produced nanoscaled inhomogeneities. The volume fraction of the inhomogeneities incrases with the copper content but not with the phosphorus content. Surprisingly, the high-pure alloy shows a relatively high irradiation effect. The irradiation defects vary in type and kinetic of evolution for the different alloys.