Dislocation loops in ultra-high purity Fe(Cr) alloys after 7.2 MeV proton irradiation

Ultra-high purity Fe(Cr) alloys (from 0 wt% Cr to 14 wt% Cr) were 3D homogeneously irradiated by 0-7.2 MeV protons to 0.3 dpa at nominal temperatures from 270 °C to 500 °C. Microstructural changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that evolution of dislocation loops depends on the Cr content. Below 300 °C, large ½ a0 <111> loops are dominating. Above 300 °C, a0 <100> loops with a habit plane {100} appear. Loop sizes of both types are more or less the same. At temperatures from 310 °C to 400 °C, a0 <100> loops form clusters with the same {100} habit plane as the one of the loops forming them. This indicates that <100> loops of the same variant start gliding under mutual elastic interaction. At 500 °C, dislocation loops form disc shaped clusters about 1000 nm in diameter and sitting on {111} and/or {100} planes in the pure Fe samples. Based on these observations a quantitative analysis of the dislocation loops configurations and their temperature dependence is made, leading to an understanding of the basic mechanisms of formation of these loops.