Effects of radiation-induced segregation on phase stability

TL;DRAbstract

Radiation with energetic neutrons, ions or electrons at elevated temperatures can affect significantly the presence and the distribution of phases in the microstructure of alloys. Among a number of different mechanisms and phenomena by which irradiation modifies the phase-microstructure, radiation-enhanced diffusion and radiation-induced segregation appear to be the most important processes. In the former phenomenon, the excess of mobile point defects during radiation may be unattainable by thermal diffusion in reasonable times. In contrast, radiation-induced segregation tends to drive systems, on a local scale, away from thermodynamic equilibrium by solute flows leading to local enrichment or depletion of alloying elements. We will give here an overview of radiation-induced segregation, and emphasize its effects on the phase-microstructure, even though radiation enhanced diffusion is inextricably present simultaneously.

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