Abstract
This article deals with the study of the influence of thermomechanical heat treatments, aging conditions (temperature and time), and helium concentration on helium bubble precipitation in a 316L austenitic steel. Helium was generated by the radioactive decay of tritium (tritium trick). Helium bubbles impede the grain growth in 316L steel aged at 1373 K and also the recrystal-lization reaction at this temperature if cold working is performed prior to aging. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations indicated a weak helium precipitation at 1073 and 1223 K, presumably due to the presence of trapping sites for tritium, and no bubble growth after aging up to 100 hours. Precipitation sites are mainly dislocations in the matrix at 1073 K and grain boundaries and individual dislocations in the matrix at 1223 K. The large bubble size (50 nm) observed at 1373 K, even for short aging times (0.083 hour), can partly be attributed to bubble dragging by dislocations toward the grain boundaries. Cold deformation prior to aging leads to a larger bubble size due to growth enhancement during recrystallization. Decreasing the helium content leads to a smaller helium bubble size and density. Tritium trapping at helium bubbles may favor helium 3 accumulation on defects such as grain boundaries, as observed by tritium autoradiography.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
H. Ullmaier:Nucl. Fusion, 1984, vol. 24 (8), pp. 1039–83.
B. Hircq:Proc. 16th Symp. on Fusion Technology, London, Sept. 1990, vol. 1, pp. 161–70.
H.J. von Driesch and P. Jung:High Temp.-High Pressures, 1980, vol. 12, pp. 635–41.
A.W. Rowcliffe:J. Nucl. Mater., 1966, vol. 18, pp. 60–65.
H. Gleiter: inPhysical Metallurgy, R.W. Cahn and P. Haasen, eds., 1983, Part 1, pp. 683-712.
J. Rothaut, H. Schroeder, and H. Ullmaier:Phil. Mag. A, 1983, vol. 47 (5), pp. 781–95.
D. Kramer, H.R. Brager, C.G. Rhodes, and A.G. Pard:J. Nucl. Mater., 1968, vol. 25, pp. 121–31.
T. Furuta and S. Kawasaki:J. Nucl. Mater., 1974, vol. 50, pp. 275–80.
B. Van der Schaaf:Ann. Chim. (Paris), 1989, vol. 14, pp. 97–111.
E.V. Kornelsen:Radiat. Eff., 1972, vol. 13, pp. 227–36.
G.J. Thomas, W.A. Swansiger, and M.I. Baskes:J. Appl. Phys., 1979, vol. 50, pp. 6942–47.
D.J. Reed:Radiat. Eff., 1977, vol. 31, pp. 129–47.
D.J. Reed, F.T. Harris, D.G. Armour, and G. Carter:Vacuum, 1974, vol. 24, pp. 179–86.
H. Schroeder and N. Yamamoto:J. Nucl. Mater., 1991, vol. 179-81, pp. 453–56.
H. Schroeder and P.F.P. Fichtner:J. Nucl. Mater., 1991, vol. 179-81, pp. 1007–10.
K.R. Garr, D. Kramer, and C.G. Rhodes:Metall. Trans., 1971, vol. 2, pp. 269–75.
A.W. Thompson:Mater. Sci. Eng., 1975, vol. 21, pp. 41–48.
P. Sacovy, G. Brun, J. Devaux, J.P. Fidelle, and J. Delaplace:3rd Int. Congress on Hydrogen Materials, P. Azou, ed., Paris, 1982, vol. 2(1-11), pp. 905-10.
S.L. Robinson:Mater. Sci. Eng., 1987, vol. 96, pp. 7–16.
V. Randle:Acta Metall. Mater., 1991, vol. 39 (4), pp. 481–92.
A.A. Sagues, H. Schroeder, W. Kesternich, and H. Ullmaier:J. Nucl. Mater., 1978, vol. 78, pp. 289–98.
G.R. Ceskey, Jr., D.E. Rawl, Jr., and D.A. Mezzanotte, Jr.:Scripta Metall., 1982, vol. 16, pp. 969–72.
H.T. Lin, M.L. Grossbeck, and B.A. Chin:Metall. Trans., 1990, vol. 21A, pp. 2585–96.
S.L. Robinson:Mater. Sci. Eng., 1987, vol. 7, pp. 96–106.
R. Blackburn:Metall. Rev., 1966, vol. 11, pp. 159–76.
H.T. Lin: Ph.D. Thesis, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 1989.
R. Lasser:Tritium and Helium 3 in Metals, Springer Verlag, 1989, p. 5.
S.H. Goods, H.T. Lin, M.L. Grossbeck, and B.A. Chin: New York NY, Report No. 88-8712, Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM, April 1988.
A. Chanfreau, A.M. Brass, C. Haut, and J. Chêne:Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 1994, vol. 25A, pp. 2131–43.
B. Hircq: CEA Technical Report No. N2644, CEA, Bruyères Le Châtel, 1989.
B. Hircq: CEA Technical Report No. N2665, CEA, Bruyères Le Châtel, 1990.
P. Tison:Ph.D. Thesis, University of Paris, Paris VI, June 1983.
A. Chanfreau: Ph.D. Thesis, University of Orsay, Paris, June 1992.
E.E. Underwood:Quantitative Stereology, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1970.
B. Weiss and R. Stickler:Metall. Trans., 1972, vol. 3, pp. 851–66.
Y. Adda, J.M. Dupouy, J. Philibert, and Y. Quéré:Eléments de Métallurgie Physique, INSTN, CEA, Bruyères Le Châtel, 1991, vol. 5, pp. 1537–49.
K.Y. Chen and J.R. Cost:J. Nucl. Mater., 1974, vol. 52, pp. 59–74.
G.J. Thomas:3rd Int. Conf. on Effect of Hydrogen Behaviour in Materials, Proc. TMS-AIME Warrendale, PA, 1981, pp. 77–85.
T.P. Perng and C.J. Alstetter:Acta Metall., 1986, vol. 34 (9), pp. 1771–81.
A. Atrens, J.J. Bellina, N.F. Fiore, and R.J. Coyle: inThe Metal Science of Stainless Steel, W. Collings and H.W. King, eds., TMS-AIME, New York, NY, 1979, pp. 54–69.
J. Chêne:Proc. of the 1st Int. Conf. on Current Solutions to Hydrogen Problems in Steels, C.G. Interrante and G.M Pressouyre, eds., Washington, DC, Nov. 1982, pp. 263-71.
W.B. Beere and G.L. Reynolds:Acta Metall., 1972, vol. 20, pp. 845–48.
W.B. Beere:Phil. Mag., 1972, vol. 25, pp. 189–200.
M.I. Baskes:MRS Bull., 1986, vol. XI (4), pp. 14–18.
M.I. Baskes and V. Vitek:Metall. Trans. A, 1985, vol. A16, pp. 1625–31.
A. Chanfreau, A.M. Brass, and J. Chêne:Proc. 16th Symp. on Fusion Technology, London, Sept. 1990, vol. 1, pp. 448-52.
E. Abramov and D. Eliezer: inConf. on Hydrogen Effects on Material Behavior, N.R. Moody and A.W. Thompson, eds. Jackson Lake, WY, Sept. 1989, pp. 169–77.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Formerly with CNRS, is Postdoctor, Department PuA, CEA-DAM, Bruyères Le Châtel, France.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brass, A.M., Chanfreau, A. & Chene, J. Helium 3 precipitation in AISI 316L stainless steel induced by radioactive decay of tritium: Microstructural study of helium bubble precipitation. Metall Mater Trans A 25, 2117–2130 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02652313
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02652313