Environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors. Semiannual report, April--September 1991: Volume 13

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5621299· OSTI ID:5621299

Kassner, T F; Ruther, W E; Chung, H M; Hicks, P D; Hins, A G; Park, J Y; Soppet, W K; Shack, W J ^[1]

---

1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)

This report summarizes work performed by Argonne National Laboratory on fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking in high water reactors during the six months from April 1991 through September 1991. Topics that have been investigated during this period include (1) fatigue and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of low-alloy steel used in piping and in steam generator and reactor pressure vessels; (2) role of chromate and sulfate in simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) water on SCC of sensitized Type 304 SS; and (3) radiation-induced segregation (RIS) and irradiation-assisted SCC of Type 304 SS after accumulation of relatively high fluence. Fatigue data were obtained on medium-S-content A533-Gr B and A106-Gr B steels in high-purity (HP) deoxygenated water, in simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) water, and in air. Crack-growth-rates (CGRs) of composite specimens of A533-Gr B/Inconel-182/Inconel-600 (plated with nickel) and homogeneous specimens of A533-Gr B were determined under small- amplitude cyclic loading in HP water with {approx} 300 ppb dissolved oxygen. CGR tests on sensitized Type 304 SS indicate that low chromate concentrations in BWR water (25--35 ppb) may actually have a beneficial effect on SCC if the sulfate concentration is below a critical level. Microchemical and microstructural changes in HP and commercial-purity Type 304 SS specimens from control-blade absorber tubes used in two operating BWRs were studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and slow-strain,rate- tensile tests were conducts on tubular specimens in air and in simulated BWR water at 289{degrees}C.

• Research Organization: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Engineering; Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USNRC; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5621299
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-4667-Vol.13; ANL-92/6; ON: TI92009721
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
STRESS CORROSION
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
CHROMATES
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
FATIGUE
MICROSTRUCTURE
PIPES
PRESSURE VESSELS
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIATION EFFECTS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STEAM GENERATORS
STEEL-ASTM-A106
STEEL-ASTM-A533-B
SULFATES
WATER CHEMISTRY
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
BOILERS
CARBON STEELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NICKEL ALLOYS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER REACTORS
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR19NI10
STEELS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VAPOR GENERATORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
360105* - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
360106 - Metals & Alloys- Radiation Effects
210100 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled