Rev.Adv.Mater.Sci. (RAMS)
No 2, Vol. 31, 2012, pages 167-173

EFFECT OF NEUTRON IRRADIATION ON
MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF AUSTENITIC
AlSi 321 STEEL, SUBJECTED TO EQUAL-CHANNEL
ANGULAR PRESSING

Valentin K. Shamardin, Yuri D. Goncharenko, Tatyana M. Bulanova, Aleksey A. Karsakov,
Igor V. Alexandrov, Marina M. Abramova and Marina V. Karavaeva

Abstract

This paper presents the results of comparative analysis for the samples of austenitic AISI 321 (18Cr-9Ni) steel in the as-received state and the state after the equal channel angular pressing (the ECAP-state) before and after the reactor irradiation on fast neutrons BIR-60 up to maximum damage dose 5.3 dpa at 350 °C. The results point out the mixed fragmentary character of the structure with a large non-homogeneity degree. The equiaxial fragments with the size of 300-400 nm have been observed along with the elongated grains with the size up to a few micrometers. The tensile testing of the irradiated steel in the ECAP-state has been conducted in the range of temperatures from 20 to 650 °C. It has been demonstrated that mechanical characteristics of the irradiated steel in the ECAP-state do not concede, or, they are even superior to the properties of an initial (coarse-grained) material.

full paper (pdf, 560 Kb)