Tensile properties of reduced activation Fe-9Cr-2W steels after FFTF irradiation

Abstract In order to develop radiation resistant steels with reduced activation for fusion reactor applications, the effect of fast neutron irradiation was investigated on the tensile properties of five types of Fe-9Cr-2W martensitic steel with and without small additions of boron, yttrium and aluminum. Miniature tensile specimens of the steels were irradiated to 28 dpa at 663 K and 33–35 dpa at 703, 793 and 873 K in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) and were deformed at temperatures between 300 and 873 K. The yield and ultimate tensile stresses were not significantly affected by the irradiations, but the total elongation was considerably decreased by the irradiation at 663 K. The reduction in elongation depended strongly on the test temperature with a maximum at around 673 K. The addition of yttrium alone tended to increase the high temperature strength, while the simultaneous addition of yttrium and aluminum tended to decrease the total elongation.