"Irradiation-Induced Nanoscale Precipitation Behaviors in Low-Alloy RPV Steels"

Grayson Nemets, MSE PhD Candidate 

Advisor: Professor Janelle Wharry

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ABSTRACT

Irradiation-induced nanoscale precipitates are one of the most important contributors to radiation embrittlement. Recent advances in atom probe tomography-based characterization have revealed that what was once thought to be a single precipitate type is instead two distinct varieties, copper-rich nanoprecipitates (CRNPs) and manganese-nickel-silicon precipitates (MNSPs). This review provides an overview of recent developments in identifying different behaviors between these precipitates, discusses how the confusion between these two types may have impacted previous precipitate analysis, and presents recent work on some of the fundamental principles that drive formation and growth of these precipitates. This review also discusses some of the mechanical effects of these precipitates, and how changes in the way they form and grow impact the bulk mechanical properties of the final material.