Effects of solute elements on irradiation hardening and microstructural evolution in low alloy steels

The effects of the elements Mn, Ni, Si and Cu on irradiation hardening and microstructural evolution in low alloy steels were investigated in ion irradiation experiments using five kinds of alloys prepared by removing Mn, Ni and Si from, and adding 0.05 wt.%Cu to, the base alloy (Fe–1.5Mn–0.5Ni–0.25Si). The alloy without Mn showed less hardening and the alloys without Ni or Si showed more hardening. The addition of Cu had hardly any influence on hardening. These facts indicated that Mn enhanced hardening and that Ni and Si had some synergetic effects. The formation of solute clusters was not confirmed by atom probe (AP) analysis, whereas small dislocation loops were identified by TEM observation. The difference in hardening between the alloys with and without Mn was qualitatively consistent with loop formation. However, microstructural components that were not detected by the AP and TEM were assumed to explain the hardening level quantitatively.