Influence of helium ion irradiation damage behavior after laser thermal shock of W-2%vol Y₂O₃ composites

W-2%vol Y₂O₃ composite material were prepared by wet-chemical and rolling methods. A comparative study was conducted with commercially pure tungsten. The laser thermal shock and the damage behavior of the material after helium ion irradiation were studied. The damage behavior was analyzed through X-ray diffractometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, field emission transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results showed that W–Y₂O₃ composite material have higher resistance to laser thermal shock than pure tungsten. Helium ion irradiation further illustrated that the cracking caused by laser thermal shock is dominated by intergranular cracks. In addition, tungsten matrix damage is associated with grain orientation deformation after the helium ion irradiation of pure tungsten and W–Y₂O₃ composite material, and the grain orientation resistance to helium ion irradiation damage is higher than that to increasing grain boundary density. Several helium bubbles were found in the tungsten matrix, the fuzz structure, and the Y₂O₃ particles, and all the helium bubbles were polyhedral rather than spherical.