Assessment of the radiation-induced loss of ductility in V-Cr-Ti alloys

Abstract

Alloys based on the V-Cr-Ti system are attractive candidates for structural applications in fusion systems because of their low activation properties, high thermal stress factor (high thermal conductivity, moderate strength, and low coefficient of thermal expansion), and their good compatibility with liquid lithium. The U.S. program has defined a V-4Cr-4Ti (wt %) alloy as a leading candidate alloy based upon evidence from laboratory-scale (30 kg) heats covering the approximate composition range 0-8 wt % Ti and 5 to 15 wt % Cr. A review of the effects of neutron displacement damage, helium, and hydrogen generation on mechanical behavior, and of compatibility with lithium, water, and helium environments was presented at the ICFRM-5 conference at Clearwater in 1991. The results of subsequent optimization studies, focusing on the effects of fast reactor irradiation on tensile and impact properties of a range of alloys, were presented at the ICFRM-6 conference at Stresa in 1993. The primary conclusion of this work was that the V-4Cr-4Ti alloy composition possessed a near-optimal combination of physical and mechanical properties for fusion structural applications. Subsequently, a production-scale (500 kg) heat of V-4Cr-4Ti (Heat No. 832665) was procured from Teledyne Wah-Chang, together with several 15 kg heats of alloys with small variations in Cr and Ti. Further testing has been carried out on these alloys, including neutron irradiation experiments to study swelling and mechanical property changes. This paper discusses ductility measurements from some of these tests which are in disagreement with earlier work.