Helium and hydrogen induced hardening in 316LN stainless steel

In certain radiation environments, such as the spallation neutron source (SNS) presently in design and construction, the high transmutation production rate for helium and hydrogen, concomitant with displacement damage, may affect the mechanical properties of structural materials. To better understand this effect, we have studied type 316LN stainless steel specimens implanted with medium energy Fe-, He-, and H-ions, alone and in combination. In this report, we present nanoindentation measurements of the incremental increase in hardness caused by 360 keV He-ions implanted at 200°C to concentrations from 2 to 200 000 appm. The He-induced hardening was found to saturate at twice the level measured for Fe-induced displacement damage alone. The additional hardening at high helium concentrations was associated with the presence of helium filled cavities (bubbles), observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We also found that co-injection of helium and hydrogen resulted in more hardening than was observed for He-implantation alone.