The influence of radiation-induced segregation on ductility of a nickel-silicon alloy

Abstract

Flat tensile specimens 60 ..mu..m thick of Ni-8 at. % Si were irradiated to bulk damage levels of 0.1 to 0.3 dpa with either 7 MeV protons or 28 MeV alpha particles at 750 K. The alpha bombarded specimens incurred 750 at. ppM He per 0.1 dpa in the course of their damage-generating irradiation. Radiation-induced silicon segregation gave rise to Ni/sub 3/Si layers at internal and external surfaces. Postirradiation tensile tests conducted either at 300 K or 720 K revealed fully ductile (chisel-edged) transgranular fracture profiles. There were no significant differences between the proton-bombarded specimens and the unbombarded controls, both exhibiting >25% total elongations, while the alpha-bombarded specimens showed ductile fractures with somewhat lower (17 to 18%) elongation values probably due to hardening caused by small helium bubbles. Certain specimens that were preimplanted with 250 to 1000 at. ppM He at 970 K to encourage intergranular failure and expose grain boundaries did fail intergranularly. It is concluded that radiation-induced silicon segregation does not cause intrinsic embrittlement.