Accumulation of Defects in Austenitic Stainless Steels with Phosphorus and Titanium Additions upon Electron Irradiation at 573 К Investigated Using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

Abstract

Using the positron annihilation spectroscopy method, the accumulation of vacancy-type defects in steels Kh16N15М3 and Kh16N15М3T1 alloyed with phosphorus has been studied at early stages of irradiation at a temperature of 573 К. The obtained data have showed that vacancies in the steels interact with phosphorus atoms at this temperature with the formation of immobile and low-mobile vacancy—impurity complexes, which results in the accumulation of vacancy-type defects. In the steel Kh16N15М3Т1 under irradiation, the formation of nanosized particles of intermetallic Ni₃Ti precipitates occurs, which intensify recombination of point defects and reduce their accumulation as compared to the steel Kh16Н15М3. As this occurs, the presence of phosphorus in the steel Х16Н15М3Т1 likewise leads to the intensification of the accumulation of vacancy defects.