Final report on in-reactor uniaxial tensile deformation of pure iron and Fe-Cr alloy

Traditionally, the effect of irradiation on mechanical properties of metals and alloys is determined using postirradiation tests carried out on pre-irradiated specimens and in the absence of irradiation environment. The results of these tests may not be representative of deformation behaviour of materials used in the structural components of a fission or fusion reactor where the materials will be exposed concurrently to displacement damage and external and/or internal stresses. In an effort to evaluate and understand the dynamic response of materials under these conditions, we have recently performed a series of uniaxial tensile tests on Fe-Cr and pure iron specimens in the BR-2 reactor at Mol (Belgium). The present report first provides a brief description of the test facilities and the procedure used for performing the in-reactor tests. The results on the mechanical response of materials during these tests are presented in the form of stressdisplacement dose and the conventional stress-strain curves. For comparison, the results of post-irradiation tests and tests carried out on unirradiated specimens are also presented. Results of microstructural investigations on the unirradiated and deformed, irradiated and undeformed, post-irradiation deformed and the in-reactor deformed specimens are also described. During the in-reactor tests the specimens of both Fe-Cr alloy and pure iron deform in a homogeneous manner and do not exhibit the phenomenon of yield drop. An increase in the preyield dose increases the yield stress but not the level of maximum flow stress during the in-reactor deformation of FeCr alloy. Neither the in-reactor nor the post-irradiation deformed specimens of Fe-Cr alloy and pure iron showed any evidence of cleared channel formation. Both in Fe-Cr and pure iron, the in-reactor deformation leads to accumulation of dislocations in a homogeneous fashion and only to a modest density. No dislocation cells are formed during the in-reactor or post-irradiation deformation of Fe-Cr and pure iron. Furthermore, in both cases, the slip systems even in the planes with Schmid factor value of almost zero get activated during the in-reactor as well as post-irradiation deformation. The main implications of these results are briefly discussed.