Irradiation-enhanced short-range ordering in austenitic stainless steel

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Abstract
Electrical resistance measurements were used to follow the change in short-range order of type-316 austenitic stainless steel. During irradiation at 713K by 60Co gamma rays the rate of ordering increased due to the point defects introduced by the irradiation. However, when the point-defect concentration reached steady state the ordering rate was less than the ordering rate without irradiation. These observations are explained by a model in which vacancies diffuse faster than interstitials and diffusion of interstitials causes the state of local order to change away from its equilibrium value. Model calculations based on the standard chemical rate equations for vacancies and interstitials indicate that the vacancy diffuses about eight times faster than the interstitial at 713K.