Small-angle neutron scattering study of CCr elementary aggregates in a martensitic steel for fusion-reactor technology

This work presents the first results of a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study carried out on the modified martensitic steel DIN 1.4914 (MANET) to check the occurrence of Cr redistribution phenomena following different thermal treatments. Within a size range of 10-50 Angstrom for the scattering particles, the results are consistent with an interpretation based on the presence of C-Cr aggregates which are unstable above a critical temperature of about 1180 degrees C.