Radiation damage and deuterium trapping in deuterium-ion-irradiated Fe–9Cr alloy

Thermal desorption of deuterium (D2) from deuterium-ion (D2+)-irradiated Fe–9Cr was correlated with the microstructural evolution of the alloy during irradiation with 8-keV D2+ ions following annealing to determine the retention and desorption behavior of the implanted deuterium and to identify effective traps for them, particularly at high temperature. After irradiation at 573 K, a new desorption stage formed between 650 and 1100 K at higher fluences, and cavities were observed using transmission electron microscopy. The total amount of trapped deuterium following irradiation with a fluence of 3.0 × 1022 ions/m2 was 6.8 × 1017 D2/m2, or approximately 0.007%. These results indicate that the deuterium atoms recombined to form D2 molecules at the surfaces of the cavities.