Abstract
Thermal tests exposed V-4Cr-4Ti in static liquid lithium at 700 and 800 °C for 250, 500, and 1000 h. Post-exposure examination included chemical analysis of interstitial impurities in V-4Cr-4Ti to monitor impurity transfer, and tensile tests at room temperature and 500 °C. Microstructures were characterized by room-temperature electrical resistivity measurements and transmission electron microscopy. Oxygen was not depleted from V-4Cr-4Ti when nitrogen pickup occurred during lithium exposures. In spite of a significant increase in interstitial impurity concentration, the matrix interstitial solute content was reduced due to precipitation. Plate-shaped precipitates in the matrix and globular precipitates at grain boundaries were formed during lithium exposures at 700 °C, while only globular precipitates were observed at grain boundaries at 800 °C. Increases in strength, decreases in ductility, and reduced dynamic strain aging resulted. Ductility remained high after 1000 h exposures at both 700 and 800 °C.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 364-370 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Nuclear Materials |
Volume | 392 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 15 2009 |
Funding
The research was supported by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, the US Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed and operated by UT-Battelle, LLC. We would like to thank L.T. Gibson and Janie Myers for their technical support, and Dr S.J. Zinkle for his valuable guidance.