The void swelling of a γ′-hardened alloy

Abstract

The swelling behaviour of a γ′-hardened alloy has been studied by High Voltage Electron Microscopy. The rate of void swelling has been found highly dependent on damage rate, temperature and γ′-particle size. Significant swelling was only achieved at damage rates approaching 10⁻² d/a/sec, and at specific γ′-particle sizes. At small (≃ 30 Å), and large (>700 Å) particle diameters the swelling rate was high. In the fully aged condition with particle diameters of the order 200 Å, the swelling rate was minimized. The mechanism of void swelling has been attributed to the nonconservative climb of irradiation induced dislocations.