Irradiation response of ODS Eurofer97 steel

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Eurofer97 steel (EU batch, 0.3 wt.% of Y2O3 particles), produced by mechanical alloying followed by hot rolling, is irradiated in the High Flux Reactor in Petten, The Netherlands at three different irradiation temperatures (300, 450 and 550 °C) up to nominal doses of 1 dpa and 3 dpa. The effect of neutron irradiation on the mechanical properties of ODS Eurofer97 material is investigated. It is shown that the irradiation hardening of ODS Eurofer97 steel occurs at 300 °C, whereas during irradiation at 450 and 550 °C no changes in mechanical properties are observed compared to the unirradiated material. This effect is possibly a result of the annealing of the irradiation damage at temperatures higher than 300 °C. The observed shifts in the Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperatures due to irradiation at different temperatures are discussed and compared with non-ODS Eurofer97 steel.