Microstructural characterization of a diffusion-bonded joint for 9Cr-ODS and JLF-1 reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels

Bonding of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels to non-ODS reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels is essential to their application to blanket systems. In the present study, a diffusion-bonded joint of the candidate 9Cr-ODS steel and JLF-1 RAFM steel was fabricated using hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The effect of post-bond heat treatments (PBHTs) was studied by hardness measurement and microstructural analysis. The results indicated that, after normalization and tempering (N&T), the hardness and microstructures of 9Cr-ODS and JLF-1 base metals recovered to levels similar to those before HIP. However, a soft region was observed across the bonding interfaces for all specimens containing the as-HIPed condition and those after PBHTs. This was due to coarser micro-carbides (M3C in as-HIPed condition and M23C6 in N&T conditions) near the interfaces than in the base metals for both 9Cr-ODS and JLF-1. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis confirmed that carbon, tungsten, and chromium in the matrix near the interfaces are transferred to the micro-carbides, making them coarser there. Ti diffused from the 9Cr-ODS side to the JLF-1 side forming Ti-rich carbides after tempering, especially at high temperature to 1073 K.