Structural and chemical evolution in neutron irradiated and helium-injected ferritic ODS PM2000 alloy

An investigation of the influence of helium on damage evolution under neutron irradiation of an 11 at% Al, 19 at% Cr ODS ferritic PM2000 alloy was carried out in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) using a novel in situ helium injection (ISHI) technique. Helium was injected into adjacent TEM discs from thermal neutron 58Ni(nth,γ) 59Ni(nth,α) reactions in a thin NiAl layer. The PM2000 undergoes concurrent displacement damage from the high-energy neutrons. The ISHI technique allows direct comparisons of regions with and without high concentrations of helium since only the side coated with the NiAl experiences helium injection. The corresponding microstructural and microchemical evolutions were characterized using both conventional and scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. The evolutions observed include formation of dislocation loops and associated helium bubbles, precipitation of a variety of phases, amorphization of the Al2YO3 oxides (which also variously contained internal voids), and several manifestations of solute segregation. Notably, high concentrations of helium had a significant effect on many of these diverse phenomena. These results on PM2000 are compared and contrasted to the evolution of so-called nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFA).