Sections of this thesis have been submitted as multiauthored papers and abstracts in various conferences. The results in this study were presented at National and International Conferences

Fe-15Cr-XNi alloys irradiated at both low (0.66 to 1.2) and very high (27 to 58) helium/dpa levels exhibit significantly different levels of strengthening due to an unprecedented refinement of cavity microstructure at the very high helium levels. When compounded with the nickel dependence of helium generation, the cavity distribution for some irradiation conditions and alloy compositions can be driven below the critical radius for bubble-to-void conversion, leading to a delay in swelling. The critical radius also appears to be dependent on the nickel level. The refinement may not have resulted from the high helium levels alone, however but also may have been influenced by differences in displacement rate and temperature history in the two experiments.

A series of alloys have been made adding various isotopes of nickel in order to vary the production of helium during irradiation by a two step nuclear reaction in a mixed spectrum reactor. The alloys use a base composition of Fe-12Cr with an addition of 1.5% nickel, either in the form of 60Ni which produces no helium, 59Ni which produces helium at a rate of about 10 appm He/dpa, or natural nickel which provides an intermediate level of helium due to delayed development of 59Ni. Specimens were irradiated in the HFIR at Oak Ridge, TN to 7.5 dpa at 300 and 400°C. Microstructural examinations indicated that nickel additions promote precipitation in all alloys, but the effect appears to be much stronger at 400°C than at 300°C. There is sufficient dose by 7 dpa (and with 2 appm He) to initiate void swelling in ferritic/martensitic alloys. Little difference was found between response from 59Ni and natural nickel. Also, helium bubble development for high helium generation conditions appeared to be very different at 300 and 400°C. At 300°C, it appeared that high densities of bubbles formed whereas at 400°C, bubbles could not be identified, possibly because of the complexity of the microstructure, but more likely because helium accumulated at precipitate interfaces.

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