Effect of annealing on Cu precipitates in H ion irradiated Fe–0.6%Cu studied by positron annihilation

Abstract Fe–0.6%Cu alloy was irradiated with H ions to 0.1 dpa, and then annealed for 30 min from 150 °C to 500 °C. We focused the evolution of Cu precipitates in irradiated Fe–0.6%Cu alloy after the isochronal annealing from the perspective of positron annihilation. The ΔW parameters after thermal annealing (400 °C and 500 °C) were much larger than that induced by 0.1 dpa H irradiation. Annealing could promote the aggregation of the Cu-vacancy complexes, and form the Cu cluster–vacancies complexes. When the vacancy-like defects recovered around 500 °C, it meant the formation and growing of the defect-free Cu precipitates.