The role of silicon in the void swelling of stainless steel. I. Effects on loop growth

Abstract

Silicon–point defect trapping is investigated through the temperature dependence of interstitial loop growth rate in solution treated 316 steels, with different silicon contents, under electron irradiation in the high voltage electron microscope (HVM). The existing point defect rate theory is extended and shown to be relevant in the presence of mobile and immobile traps providing intrinsic point defect diffusivities are replaced by effective ones. Furthermore, for the conditions of the experiments, changes in the effective vcancy diffusivity are reflected directly by changes in defect recombination behaviour. It is concluded that silicon, whilst in solution, acts as a trap for both, vacancy and interstitial point defects.