Evaluation of low-temperature swelling in austenitic stainless steels

Major portions of structural materials of near-term fusion blankets and light water reactor core components are subject to neutron irradiation at low temperatures and low fluxes compared to those in typical void swelling studies using fast reactors. Observed swelling in austenitic stainless steels at temperatures below 673K are generally very small under typical fast reactor irradiation conditions, however, the amount of swelling might be significantly influenced by neutron nux, helium generation rate, etc. In this work, using a reaction rate theory model of swelling, the influences of such key irradiation parameters on low temperature swelling behavior in austenitic stainless steels will be demonstrated to aid the evaluation of swelling at low temperature and low neutron flux conditions.