Plasma immersion ion implantation of stainless steel 316

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PI3) is a method designed to implant large areas of samples simultaneously, to very high fluences, with a small energy variation. The process involves forming an ionised plasma at a controlled temperature with radio frequency (RF) excitation. Ion implantation occurs when the positive ions from the plasma are accelerated towards all exposed surfaces by applying a high negative voltage to the sample. It has previously been used for surface hardening and improving corrosion properties of metals. This ion implantation technique is being used to simulate the effects from a neutron irradiation environment and study the effects on various materials. Research is currently in progress to determine the effect of PI3 has on a 316 stainless steel microstructure, utilising argon and helium ions as damaging ions. The overall aim of the research is to eventually investigate other unique materials that have applications in both GenIV and fusion reactor programs, and the Advanced Fuel Cycles (AFCI) e.g. inert matrix fuels, reactor core liners, structural materials within the reactor (ODS materials). The main focus of this work will be to understand grain-boundary interactions, and how they relate to the tolerance of materials to damage.