Understanding of the evolution of mechanical properties of steels under irradiation: micromechanics and microstructure

Steels are the main structural materials in current and future nuclear power plants. Radiation induced segregation/precipitation and radiation enhanced precipitation at the nanoscale impact significantly their mechanical properties. Under ion irradiation, the small thickness of the irradiated layer imposes micro-mechanical testing methods to be used such as nanoindentation and micropillar compression. The objective is to make the link between microstructural evolution and hardening owing to the combination of: atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy,
SEM/FIB/EBSD on one hand and nanoindentation and micropillar compression on the other hand. This correlative approach can also be used on the same materials irradiated with neutrons allowing the comparison between ion and neutron irradiation.