Environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors. Semiannual report April--September 1992

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:10170054

Ruther, W E; Chung, H M; Chopra, O K; Kassner, T F; Majumdar, S; Park, J Y; Sanecki, J E; Hins, A G; Shack, W J ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (US)

This report summarizes work performed by Argonne National Laboratory on fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) in light water reactors (LWRs) during the six months from April 1992 to September 1992. Topics that have been investigated include (1) fatigue and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of low-alloy steel used in piping, steam generators. and reactor pressure vessels. (2) EAC of cast stainless steels (SSs), and (3) radiation-induced segregation and irradiation-assisted SCC of Type 304 SS after accumulation of relatively high fluence. Data on fatigue of low-alloy steel in LWR environments have been reviewed. Based on fracture-mechanics models and engineering judgement, interim fatigue design curves were developed that are consistent with available fatigue-life data. Crack growth data were obtained on fracture-mechanics specimens of A533-Gr B and A106-Gr B ferritic steels and on cast austenitic SSs in the as-received and thermally aged conditions in simulated BWR water at 289{degrees}C. The data were compared with predictions based on crack growth correlations for ferritic steels in oxygenated water and correlations for wrought austenitic SS in oxygenated water developed at ANL and rates in air from Section M of the ASME Code. Microchemical and microstructural changes in high- and commercial-purity Type 304 SS specimens from control-blade absorber tubes and a control-blade sheath from operating BWRs were studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Slow-strain-rate-tensile tests were conducted on irradiated specimens in air and simulated BWR water.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Engineering; Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 10170054
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-4667-Vol.15; ANL-93/2; ON: TI93016368; TRN: 93:016559
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Jun 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
CRACK PROPAGATION
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PROGRESS REPORT
FATIGUE
STRESS CORROSION
STEAM GENERATORS
PRESSURE VESSELS
STAINLESS STEELS
FRACTURE MECHANICS
FERRITIC STEELS
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
STRAIN RATE
LOW ALLOY STEELS
PIPES
REACTOR CORES
SERVICE LIFE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
MICROSTRUCTURE
TENSILE PROPERTIES
210100
360103
POWER REACTORS
NONBREEDING
LIGHT-WATER MODERATED
BOILING WATER COOLED