Structural and phase states and irradiation-induced defects in Ni-Cr alloys

The structural and phase states in alloys of the Ni-Cr-Mo system which were induced by both heat aging and electron irradiation at elevated temperatures have been studied by the methods of measurement of residual resistivity and positron annihilation. Migration of irradiation-induced defects during irradiation at 300°C is shown to initiate processes of ordering or phase separation depending on the initial alloy microstructure and chromium content. It has been established that in the alloy with 32 wt % Cr the concentration of accumulated vacancy defects in the state of short-range ordering after irradiation with 5-MeV electrons to a dose of ∼1.5 × 10−4 dpa at 200°C is half as high as that in the state of long-range ordering with a homogeneous distribution of domains (to 10 nm in size) of the ordered Ni2Cr phase in the matrix.