He bubbles inhibition and abnormal hardening in GH3535 alloy by niobium element addition

GH3535 and 2 wt.% Nb-modified GH3535 (Nb-GH3535) alloys were irradiated with 1.2 MeV He ion at fluences of 1 × 1016, 3 × 1016 and 1 × 1017 ions/cm2 at 750 °C. Microstructural changes, including the formation of He bubbles and superlattice phases, as well as the irradiation-induced hardening, were investigated by TEM and nanoindentation. Notably, Nb-GH3535 exhibited a smaller size and lower number density of He bubbles, especially at higher fluences, indicating the inhibitory effect of Nb on bubble evolution. First-principles calculations revealed that the presence of Nb inhibits the combination of He atoms and vacancies, reducing their diffusion rate and consequently impeding the nucleation and growth of He bubbles. Furthermore, the addition of Nb facilitates the irradiation-induced precipitation of the superlattice phase, leading to a higher degree of total hardening in Nb-GH3535 alloy.