About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Accelerated Qualification Methods for Nuclear Reactor Structural Materials
|
| Presentation Title |
Understanding radiation effects in friction stir and laser welds in MA956 under ion irradiation |
| Author(s) |
Elizabeth M. Getto, Nicholas Nathan, Jack McMahan, Brad Baker, Stephen Stokes, Ryan Sundburg, Matthew Swenson |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Elizabeth M. Getto |
| Abstract Scope |
Determining the microstructure evolution of oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) alloys is important for predicting the safety and structural integrity of fast reactors. Furthermore, understanding of the detrimental effect of joining techniques such as laser welding (LW) or friction stir welding (FSW) on microstructural evolution remains an outstanding question for future reactor designs. Rastered ion irradiations at 400-500C with 5 MeV Fe++ ions were performed upon ODS Fe-Cr-Al steel MA956, which had been friction stir welded (FSW) or laser welded (LW). The mechanical properties were assessed with nanoindentation and softening was observed due to grain growth in both types of welds and with increased dose. Characterization was performed primarily with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate the Y-Al-O voids, dispersoids and dislocations. Welding, regardless of type, coarsened the microstructure. Although dispersoids reformed with irradiation in the FSW, whereas LW demonstrated ballistic dissolution with irradiation. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Joining, Nuclear Materials, |