Quasi in-situ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy observation of matrix and solute interactions on Y Ti O oxide particles in an austenitic stainless steel under 1 MeV Kr2+ high temperature irradiation

Abstract This article presents a novel quasi in-situ analysis, which allowed for examining the same microstructural area before and after irradiation, in two distinct facilities. One facility is used for the irradiation, and one for the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The material studied is an austenitic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) stainless steel, modeled after commercial grade 310 L (25Cr 20Ni 2Mo-0.02C-0.4N-0.35Y2O3-0.5Ti-bal.Fe), which is synthesized from a powder metallurgy fabrication route using hot isostatic pressing. ODS materials are suitable for applications in: structural, highly corrosive, nuclear, and electromagnetic field environments. In fact, new generation fusion systems represent all four of these demands at the same time. The 310-ODS material is irradiated to ∼1.5dpa at 520OC with 1 MeV Kr2+ 7.5 × 1014 ions cm−2 (∼1.25 × 10−3 dpa/s). Quasi in-situ EDX line scans are presented, focusing on the interactions of: Fe, Cr, Ni, Y, Ti, and O. The examined particles are two Ti-rich structures, which present themselves as non-stoichiometric oxides (>200 nm) embedded within the iron matrix. The Y/Ti at% ratios in both observed particles decreased slightly from 0.34 ± 0.07 and 0.28 ± 0.04, to 0.26 ± 0.08 and 0.20 ± 0.06 respectively, suggesting a dissolution mechanism has initiated under this irradiation condition. It is often a question of dissolution vs. amorphization in these materials. Included is a detailed discussion of these two mechanisms as a function of temperature, fluence, and irradiating energy, with contrast to the current literature. Furthermore, attached is a data-in-brief (DiB), which includes the EDX spectrum and raw data captured from the experiment.