Characterization Of Irradiation Induced Precipitates By Small Angle X Ray And Neutron Scattering Experiments

The nature of the irradiation-induced precipitates in the VVER-440-type steel 15Kh2MFA has been investigated by the combination of small angle neutron scattering and anomalous small angle X-ray scattering. Information about the chemical composition of the irradiation-induced precipitates was obtained by the method of contrast variation. ASAXS experiments with variation of the X-ray energy near the energy of the vanadium K-absorption edge prove the content of vanadium within the irradiation-induced precipitates. The scattering density of the precipitates is lower than the scattering density of the iron matrix. The chemical shift of the vanadium-K?-absorption-edge and the results of the variation of the contribution of the magnetic scattering in the SANS experiment show, that vanadium does not precipitate in an elementary state. These results can be explained by assuming the precipitates are vanadium carbide.