Effects of nickel addition on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of reduced activation martensitic steels irradiated in the ATR-A1

Validity of nickel isotope tailoring (NIT) method to be able to generate a large amount of transmutation helium in 9%Cr-2%W reduced activation ferritic (RAF) steel for fusion reactor structural material was investigated and discussed through mechanical properties and microstructural evolution after fission neutron irradiation. Miniature tensile and Charpy impact specimens of RAF steels and 1% nickel added RAF steel were irradiated in the ATR-A1 to evaluate irradiation hardening and shift in ductile-brittle transition temperature (ΔDBTT). The amount of transmutation helium in all the RAF steels with and without nickel addition was calculated as only about 0.6 appm. After irradiation at 621 K, the ΔDBTT for the 1% nickel added steel was similar for the JLF-1. After irradiation at 543 K, however, the ΔDBTT for the 1% nickel added steel was significantly larger than that for the JLF-1. Microstructure observations revealed that irradiation-induced dislocation loops in the 1% nickel added steel were finer and denser than in the RAF steel without nickel addition, suggesting that the nickel addition to the RAF steels directly affected nucleation and growth processes of dislocation loops and enhanced irradiation hardening and embrittlement. Therefore, there is a limit in the NIT method as a simulation method for understanding effects of helium on irradiation embrittlement of RAF steels.