Nanoindentation Study of the Effect of Low-Temperature Ion Irradiation on the Hardness of a Ferritic–Martensitic EK-181 Steel

Resumo

The hardness of a ferritic–martensitic steel EK-181 after ion irradiation to a maximum damaging dose of ~50 dpa in the temperature range 250–400°C is investigated. Nanoindentation is used to measure the mechanical properties. The hardnesses of the layer damaged by ions and that of the undamaged bulk material are found. At temperatures below 300°C, softening at a dose below 10 dpa and hardening at high doses of ~50 dpa are observed. Hardening is detected over the entire dose range at 400°C. The maximum hardness of the sample irradiated to ~50 dpa at 400°C is 1.7 GPa.