Effect of He implantation on the microstructure of zircaloy-4 studied using in situ TEM

Highlights

• Differences in the evolution of α and βZr microstructures under 6 keV He ion implantation have been analysed as a function of irradiation dose and temperature using in situ TEM.
• Both thermal and irradiation stabilities of Zr hydrides particles were studied and were found to dissolve with increasing fluence.
• It is suggested that the combination of two different mass-transport mechanisms for He in zircaloy-4 play a major rule in the Zr hydride irradiation-induced dissolution.
• He bubble lattices were observed to form during irradiation at 473 K and 1148 K in both crystalline phases, α and βZr, at around the same fluence of 1.7×10^17 ions⋅cm−2 (3.2 dpa).