Splitting phenomenon of martensitic transformation in a F82H reduced neutron activation steel

This process, which is implemented in nuclear fusion reactors (from which one of the first designs was the Tokamak), involves deuterium-tritium plasmas at very high temperature, confined in vacuum chambers of toroidal shape under the influence of strong magnetic fields. The hostile conditions underwent by structural components of these reactors drives the development of new materials with metallurgical properties adapted to these conditions.

In particular, the so-called reduced activation martensitic-ferritic steels (R.A.F.M.’s) are strong candidates for constructing these reactors components, due its excellent physical properties. In this contribution 6 samples of the alloy F82H, a steel belonging to the R.A.F.M. group, were analyzed. They were extracted from a plate normalized at a temperature of 1040ºC for 38 minutes and tempered at 750ºC for 60 minutes (as- received condition).