Influence of YH₂ Nanoparticles Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Ferritic Alloys

YH₂ nanoparticles of about 15 nm were prepared and used to substitute Y₂O₃ nanoparticles to produce the oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe–14Cr–3Al–0.1Ti–2W alloys. With the addition of YH₂ nanoparticles, Y₂Ti₂O₇ nanoparticles in coherent with α‐Fe matrix were generated firstly in the Al‐containing ODS alloys due to the reaction of YH₂ with Ti and excessive oxygen in the system. When Y₂O₃ nanoparticles were completely replaced by YH₂ nanoparticles, the dispersed oxides in the ODS alloy has the most narrow size distribution from 3 to 30 nm and a small mean size of about 9 nm. The tensile strength of the ODS alloy increased remarkably with the increasing YH₂ content. This provides a promising way to control the structure and size of the oxide nanoparticles and develop the high performance Al‐containing ODS alloys.