HARDENING BEHAVIOR OF NUCLEAR STRUCTURAL MATERIALS UNDER ION IRRADIATION

Abstract

The evaluation of irradiation hardening and embrittlement is critically important for the development of next-generation nuclear structural materials tolerant to neutron irradiation. This review summarizes research progress on experimental observations aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of radiation-induced hardening in ion-irradiated materials, focusing on the correlation between irradiation effects and mechanical property changes. We present the basic information for the application of ion irradiation and nanoindentation techniques to characterize the mechanical properties of nuclear structural materials. The effects of irradiation on advanced structural materials, including oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) austenitic steels, ferritic-martensitic steels, and high-entropy alloys, are analyzed. The dependence of hardening parameters on the irradiation dose and their relationship with microstructural evolution are examined. Findings indicate that these advanced alloys exhibit reduced susceptibility to irradiation-induced hardening compared to conventional austenitic stainless steels.