Ion irradiation effects on commercial PH 13-8 Mo maraging steel Corrax

Abstract The effects of irradiation on the precipitation behavior of commercial PH 13-8 Mo maraging steel a.k.a. Corrax are investigated through in-situ ion irradiation. Samples of the alloy in its solution annealed state are irradiated up to 10 dpa at 573 and 773 K using 1 MeV Kr ions, in-situ in a transmission electron microscope in order to probe irradiation effects on the precipitation usually observed in this alloy under thermal aging. Indeed, the alloy is known to develop a relatively fine distribution of precipitates during thermal aging which gives the martensitic alloy its strength. The effects of irradiation are substantiated by comparing with the same material thermally aged at 773 and 873 K for similar amounts of experimental time. Both radiation and thermal aging induced segregation and precipitation are characterized using analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The diffusion coefficients under irradiation are estimated using the point defect balance equations based on Rate Theory and then compared with the thermal diffusion coefficients, demonstrating the accelerated precipitation of β-phase and Laves-phase in the irradiation case at relatively lower temperature is attributed to the radiation-enhanced diffusion. In addition, a numerical model based on classical precipitate nucleation and growth theories is introduced and shows a relatively good agreement with the experimental results in terms of precipitate density. This study serves to generate baseline data on ion irradiation effects on Corrax to learn how this steel responds to irradiation.