Abstract
The influence of irradiation (3.58 × 10 24 n/ m 2; E > 1 MeV at 583 K for 52 days) has been compared to the effects of thermal exposure alone (52 days at 583 K) on the redistribution of Nb and Fe in an as-extruded Zr-2.5 wt% Nb pressure tube alloy. The major change associated with the thermal treatment is a decomposition of the retained β-Zr phase, to form ω. As the ω-phase grows, it rejects Nb and Fe to the surrounding β-Zr. No significant changes were noted in the Nb and Fe levels segregated at α-α grain boundaries on heat treatment. Similar effects were observed in the irradiated samples, but in addition the retained β-phase is depleted of Fe. At the same time Fe is detected in the α-matrix of the irradiated specimen. Although analytical electron microscopy in a dedicated STEM instrument does not lead to reliable estimates of the absolute concentration of Fe in the irradiated sample, a series of experiments are described which show that Fe is present in the α-matrix of the alloy.
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