Microstructure evolution and deuterium permeation in RAFM steel under pulsed thermal loads

IF 3.2 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2025-07-28 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.156067

Zongming Shao , Hao Yang , Siwei Zhang

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Abstract

The transport of hydrogen isotopes in reduced activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steels under transient heat loads is crucial for their application as plasma facing materials (PFMs) in DEMO reactors. However, existing research predominantly focuses on hydrogen isotope retention within these materials, while permeation behaviour through RAFMs under transient heat loads remains poorly understood. In this study, China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel as one of RAFMs was exposed in the QSPA-T facility to investigate the deuterium permeation behaviour under varying pulse numbers and heat load energy densities. Post-experiment characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to analyse the microstructural evolution and elemental distribution. And the deuterium permeation behaviour of the samples was determined by gas-driven permeation (GDP) experiments. The results show that the deuterium permeability of the sample increased by approximately 1∼2 orders of magnitude after heat loads, and the permeability increased with the number of the pulses, but showed significant change with the increase in energy density of the heat load. Combining the microstructural analysis of the samples after heat exposure, the observed phenomenon can be attributed to two main factors: an increase in surface roughness and the changes in microstructures of the resolidified layer.

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脉冲热载荷作用下RAFM钢的组织演变与氘渗透

在瞬态热负荷下，氢同位素在还原活化铁素体-马氏体（RAFM）钢中的输运对其作为等离子体表面材料（pfm）在DEMO反应堆中的应用至关重要。然而，现有的研究主要集中在这些材料中的氢同位素保留，而在瞬态热负荷下通过rafm的渗透行为仍然知之甚少。在这项研究中，中国低活化马氏体（CLAM）钢作为rafm之一，在QSPA-T设施中暴露，研究了不同脉冲数和热负荷能量密度下的氘渗透行为。实验后利用扫描电镜（SEM）、能谱（EDS）和电子背散射衍射（EBSD）分析了材料的微观结构演变和元素分布。用气驱渗透（GDP）实验测定了样品的氘渗透行为。结果表明，热负荷后样品的氘渗透率增加了约1 ~ 2个数量级，渗透率随脉冲数的增加而增加，但随热负荷能量密度的增加而显著变化。结合热暴露后试样的显微组织分析，该现象主要归因于两个因素：表面粗糙度的增加和再凝固层显微组织的变化。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.