High temperature tensile testing of modified 9Cr–1Mo after irradiation with high energy protons

This study examines the effect of tensile test temperatures ranging from 50 to 600 °C on the tensile properties of a modified 9Cr–1Mo ferritic steel after high energy proton irradiation at about 35–67 °C to doses from 1 to 3 dpa and 9 dpa. For the specimens irradiated to doses between 1 and 3 dpa, it was observed that the yield strength and ultimate strength decreased monotonically as a function of tensile test temperature, whereas the uniform elongation (UE) remained at approximately 1% for tensile test temperatures up to 250 °C and then increased for tensile test temperatures up to and including 500 °C. At 600 °C, the UE was observed to be less than the values at 400 and 500 °C. UE of the irradiated material tensile tested at 400–600 °C was observed to be greater than the values for the unirradiated material at the same temperatures. Tensile tests on the 9 dpa specimens followed similar trends.