Enhanced helium release by hydrogen isotope charging in polycrystalline nickel

Thermal desorption analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy were used to study helium release behavior from nickel charged with or without hydrogen isotopes. It was found that hydrogen isotopes in the material may enhance helium release and induce helium blister formation for nickel pre-implanted with 10–30 keV, 8 × 1015 to 4 × 1017 He ions/cm2. This phenomenon is explained using a Hydrogen-Assisted Interbubble Fracture mechanism.