Microstructure and hardness of HIP-bonded regions in F82H blanket structures

Metallurgical examinations and hardness measurements were performed at hot isostatic pressing (HIP)-bonded regions in blanket structures made from F82H alloy in order to investigate the HIP-bondability and the influence on the microstructure due to the HIP and heat treatments which would correspond to the fabrication of an actual blanket. The metallurgical examination showed that the HIP-bonded interfaces were sufficiently diffusion-bonded without significant defects, i.e. voids and/or exfoliations, although grain coarsening was observed at a part of the HIP interfaces. Hardness was nearly equal in the coarsening region and a region without coarsening, but about a 10 Hv increase was found in a boundary in between the regions with and without coarsening. Microcrystallized grains were observed in a region about ∼6 μm from HIP interfaces, and the hardness increased by about 0.2 GPa in the region.