Study of radiation-induced degradation of RPV steels and model alloys by positron annihilation and Mössbauer spectroscopy

The influence of different microstructural processes on the degradation due to radiation embrittlement has studied by positron annihilation and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The materials studied consisted of WWER-440 base (15Kh2MFA) and weld (10KhMFT) RPV steels which were neutron-irradiated at fluence levels of 0.78 × 1024 m−2, 1.47 × 1024 m−2 and 2.54 × 1024 m−2; WWER-1000 base (15Kh2NMFAA) and weld (12Kh2N2MAA) irradiated at a fluence level 1.12 × 1024 m−2; three different model alloys implanted with protons at two dose levels (up to 0.026 dpa), finally the base metal of WWER-1000 (15Kh2NMFAA) was thermally treated with the intention to simulate the P-segregation process. It has been shown possible to correlate the values of parameters obtained by such techniques and data of mechanical testing (ductile-to-brittle transition temperature and upper shelf energy).