Atom probe characterization of solute atom clustering in decommissioned Greifswald unit 4 weld metal

Characterization of irradiation-induced microstructural features in reactor pressure vessel (RPV) materials is essential for the understanding of the mechanisms of RPV embrittlement. Particularly, analyses of materials from decommissioned RPVs are very important because the simulated irradiations in material testing reactors can never be the same as that of actual commercial reactors. In this study, we performed microstructural characterization of the weld metals cut from the decommissioned Greifswald Unit 4 RPV. Atom probe tomography technique was used to characterize the microstructural features in terms of solute atom clustering and segregation. The following conclusions can be drawn: (1) Carbides containing large amount of vanadium with a small size of ~10nm in diameter were observed. (2) Clusters which consist of Cu, Ni, Mn, Si, Cr and P are formed at Layer 4 and 6. (3) At Layer 4, two kinds of solute atom clusters i.e. with and without Cu atoms are observed, whereas almost all clusters contain Cu at Layer 6. (4) Concentrations of Ni, Mn, Si and Cr in the clusters are independent of cluster size. Si concentration is different between Layer 4 and 6. (5) There is a large scatter in the concentrations of Cu and P. However, the sum of Cu and P concentrations in the clusters is almost constant.