Intermetallic dispersion-strengthened ferritic superalloys with exceptional resistance to radiation-induced hardening

Intermetallic dispersion-strengthening (IDS) using nano-scale coherent intermetallic precipitates offers a potent strategy to produce high-strength and radiation-resistant steels, whilst addressing the manufacturability challenges of analogous oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels. However, their performance with intermetallic stability under irradiation damage, such as radiation-induced hardening (RIH), whilst hypothesised, is undemonstrated. Here, we report on a model IDS α(A2) + α’(L2₁) Fe-Ni-Al-Ti ferritic superalloy, which exhibits exceptional resistance to RIH with near-zero hardening after irradiation at 300°C 1 dpa, in contrast to significant RIH in a counterpart coarse precipitate alloy (increase in nano-hardness of 1.0 GPa) and Eurofer97 (0.7 GPa). This irradiation resistance is attributed to the high density of semi-coherent precipitate-matrix interfaces, and partial-disordering L2₁->B2 which causes a decrease in anti-phase boundary energy. High interface density with localised interfacial strain offers effective sinks, suppressing defect populations compared to the counterpart with lower interface density. Meanwhile, atomic resolution spectroscopy and irradiation with in-situ transmission electron microscopy show that the disordering stems from Al-rich and Ti-rich sublattices mixing in the initial L2₁-Ni₂AlTi structure below 500°C, forming metastable B2-Ni(Al,Ti). Combined, the high interface density and radiation-induced intermetallic disordering underpin the remarkable radiation tolerance, demonstrating the IDS concept as a promising radiation-resistant materials design strategy.