Evaluation of liquid metal embrittlement of SS304 by Cd and Cd-Al solutions

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:10153702

Thomas, J K; Iyer, N C ^[1]; Begley, J A ^[2]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
2. Westinghouse Science and Technology Center, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

The susceptibility of stainless steel 304 to liquid metal embrittlement (LME) by cadmium (Cd) and cadmium-aluminum (Cd-Al) solutions was examined as part of a failure evaluation for SS304-clad cadmium reactor safety rods which had been exposed to elevated temperatures. The active, or cadmium (Cd) bearing, portion of the safety rod consists of a 0.756 in. diameter aluminum allow (Al-6061) core, a 0.05 in. thick Cd layer, and a 0.042 in. thick Type 304 stainless steel cladding. The safety rod thermal tests were conducted as part of a program to define the response of reactor core components to a hypothetical LOCA for the Savannah River Site (SRS) production reactor. LME was considered as a potential failure mechanism based on the nature of the failure and susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels to embrittlement by other liquid metals.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10153702
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--92-181; CONF-921102--4; ON: DE92015884
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103
360105
ALUMINIUM
CADMIUM
CORROSION AND EROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
EMBRITTLEMENT
FAILURES
LIQUID METALS
LOSS OF COOLANT
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PRODUCTION REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SCRAM RODS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
TENSILE PROPERTIES