Effect of crystal orientation on low flux helium and hydrogen ion irradiation in polycrystalline tungsten

Blistering behavior in polycrystalline tungsten is investigated under low flux helium and hydrogen ion irradiation. Subsequent to irradiation, the grain orientations near (0 1 1), (1 0 1) and (1 1 1) planes on the surface are analyzed by SEM and EBSD. It is found that blister density is the greatest on the grain orientation near (1 1 1) plane, and the smallest on the grain orientation near (0 0 1) plane. Experiments suggest that blistering degree highly depends upon the grain orientation, blisters are easily formed on the grain orientation near (1 1 1) plane, and medium on the grain orientation near (1 0 1) plane, and the most rare on the grain orientation near (0 1 1) plane. The surface resistant orientation of tungsten is orientation near (0 0 1) plane. The atom binding energy in the crystal plane in combination with the channeling effect of adjacent crystal planes may play an important role for the difference of the surface morphology. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.