Ion-irradiation induced hardening behavior of zirconium alloys: A combination of experimental and theoretical study

This study aimed to investigate the microstructure information and mechanical behavior of ion-irradiated zirconium (Zr) alloys through a combination of experimental measurements and theoretical analysis. Experimental procedures involved Au3+ irradiation of Zr-1.5Sn-0.2Fe-0.1Cr and Zr-1.0Sn-1.0Nb-0.1Fe at 3 displacements per atom (dpa) and 30 dpa. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the formation of precipitates such as Zr(Fe, Cr)2 in Zr-1.5Sn-0.2Fe-0.1Cr, as well as beta-Nb and Zr(Nb, Fe)2 in Zr-1.0Sn-1.0Nb-0.1Fe. These precipitates exhibited a transformation from crystalline state to partial or complete amorphization after ion-irradiation. Furthermore, macroscopic mechanical properties of the Zr alloys were characterized by nano-indentation tests, which revealed a significant indentation size effect (ISE) and irradiation hardening behavior. To provide a theoretical understanding of the depth-dependent hardness observed in ion-irradiated Zr alloys, a mechanistic model was developed to address the different expansion rates of the plastic zone in the irradiated and unirradiated region. The results indicated that the ISE phenomenon could be attributed to the reduction in the density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) caused by the expansion of the plastic zone. In addition, the irradiation hardening behavior primarily resulted from the contribution of irradiation-induced defects. With increasing indentation depth, the dominant hardening mechanisms changed from the contribution of irradiationinduced defects, GNDs and statistically stored dislocations (SSDs) in the irradiated region to SSDs in the unirradiated substrate.