New microstructural insights into neutron-irradiated tungsten

Abstract The development of appropriate materials for fusion reactors that can sustain high neutron fluencies at elevated temperatures remains a great challenge. Tungsten is one of the promising candidate materials for plasma-facing components of future fusion reactors, due to several favorable properties as for example a high melting point, a high sputtering resistivity, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The microstructural details of a tungsten sample with a 1.25 dpa (displacements per atom) damage dose after irradiation at 800°C were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Three types of radiation-induced defects were observed, analyzed and characterized: (i) voids with sizes ranging from 10 nm to 65 nm, (ii) dislocation loops with a size of up to 10 nm and (iii) W-Re-Os containing σ- and χ-type precipitates. The distribution of voids as well as the nature of the occurring dislocation loops were studied in detail. In addition, nano-chemical analyses revealed that the σ- and χ-type precipitates, which are sometimes attached to voids, are surrounded by a solid solution cloud enriched with Re. For the first time the crystallographic orientation relationship of the σ- and χ-phases to the W-matrix was specified. Furthermore, electron energy-loss spectroscopy could not unambiguously verify the presence of He within individual cavities.