Effect of power pulses of deuterium plasma on the structure and mechanical properties of chromium steel

Abstract

The effect of high-power nanosecond pulsed fluxes of deuterium ions and dense deuterium plasma (10⁸ W/cm²) generated in the Plasma Focus apparatus on the mechanical properties of chromium steel is investigated. It is found that the replacement of carbon in composition of the ferrite 12 Cr–2 W–0.1 C steel by nitrogen leads to dramatic embrittlement and softening of the steel caused apparently by formation of brittle nitrides of iron and/or tungsten. Irradiation with powerful pulses of hot plasma improves the mechanical properties of nitrous ferrite steel owing to dissolution of the brittle precipitations of nitride phases and formation of nanoscale particles of W, which is confirmed by X-ray analysis of irradiated steel. Ferrite chromium steels without nitrogen and austenitic manganese steels show a high stability of the mechanical properties under irradiation with powerful pulses of deuterium plasma.