Tritium Deformation Interactions in FCC Austenitic Steels

Abstract

Hydrogen deformation interactions are known to control the environmental degradation effects (H and ³He embrittlement, stress corrosion cracking,...) associated with the presence of H and its isotopes in structural materials. Different types of interaction have been investigated : trapping on stress field and strain-induced defects, enhanced diffusion along dislocation networks, transport by moving dislocation. For several reasons, the quantification of these interactions is a major challenge in nuclear systems involving the presence of tritium : prevention of tritium-induced damage, tritium inventory, management of tritiated waste...

This paper reports recent results on the quantitative characterization of tritium deformation interactions in fcc materials.