Effect of small additional elements on DBTT of V–4Cr–4Ti irradiated at low temperatures

Abstract As a part of a program to screen several V–4Cr–4Ti containing Si, Al and Y alloys and optimize the amounts of Si, Al and Y, the Charpy impact test of five kinds of V–4Cr–4Ti–Si–Al–Y alloys by an instrumented Charpy impact testing machine using miniaturized specimens (1.5 mm × 1.5 mm × 20 mm) have been conducted before and after neutron irradiation. Charpy impact specimens were encapsulated in an aluminum vial filled with high purity He and irradiated up to 1.06 × 10 1 9 n/cm 2 ( E  > 1 MeV, 156 h) at low temperatures (about 150°C) in Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR). The ductile brittle transition temperature (DBTT) of each alloy was determined by various methods on absorbed energy, brittle fracture ratio and lateral expansion from a quantitative analysis of fractography for broken specimens after the Charpy impact test. Almost all specimens were embrittled after low temperature irradiation. Decomposition of primary precipitates could result in migration of interstitial elements to irradiation defects and many precipitates are formed under irradiation. Radiation hardening then caused the substantial degradation of its fracture toughness.