Atomic-level observation with three-dimensional atom probe of the solute behaviour in neutron-, ion- or electron-irradiated ferritic alloys

The three-dimensional atom probe provides one of the most effective tools to characterize, with near atomic resolution, the solute distribution and the early stage of precipitation in metallic alloys. This paper presents results on the application of this technique to pressure vessel steels and model alloys. It is shown that, in neutron irradiated samples from VVER reactors, after annealing and re-irradiation, no Cu–Si–Mn–Ni–P-enriched clusters form, in contrast to the irradiated but not annealed samples. In the case of model alloys, it is shown that under electron irradiation copper clustering may or may not be observed depending on the type of irradiated materials. On the other hand the microstructures of low and high supersaturated Fe–Cu alloys irradiated under similar Fe-ion irradiations are the same.