Radiation-induced Ostwald ripening in oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steels irradiated at high ion dose

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic steels are considered promising candidates as cladding tubes for Generation IV nuclear reactors. In such reactors, irradiation damage can reach more than 150 dpa at temperatures ranging from 400 to 650 °C. Thus nanoparticle stability has to be guaranteed in order to ensure that these materials possess excellent creep properties. Using Fe ions, ODS steels were irradiated at 500 °C up to 150 dpa. At this temperature the nano-oxide population evolution under irradiation is similar to that observed after annealing at high temperature. It consists of a slight increase in the particle size and a slight decrease in the density, which can be both explained by an Ostwald ripening mechanism. Conversely, irradiations performed at room temperature using Au ions lead to a complete dissolution of the oxide particles, in agreement with the estimation of ballistic vs. radiation enhanced diffusion effects.