Effect of C on the formation of Cu precipitates and vacancy clusters in neutron-irradiated Fe–Cu alloys

Abstract Two types of Fe–Cu binary alloys: Fe-0.15Cu and Fe-0.3Cu with and without 0.25 wt% C were irradiated with fission neutrons at damages ranging from 4 × 10−6 to 0.16 dpa at 573 K. The effect of C on the formation of Cu precipitates and vacancy clusters in the alloys was investigated. The addition of C delayed the formation of vacancy clusters in both the alloys. This is because the addition of C increased the migration energy of vacancies, i.e., decreased the migration of vacancies. However, C did not affect the growth of microvoids. Although the effect of C on the formation of Cu precipitates depended on the irradiation dose, the effect was insignificant at high irradiation doses.