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The effect of phosphorus on precipitation in irradiated reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels

Journal Article · · Journal of Nuclear Materials
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [1];  [4]
  1. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
  2. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
  3. Boise State University, ID (United States); Center for Advanced Energy Studies, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
  4. University of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Embrittlement of light water reactor pressure vessels (RPV) steels by fast neutron irradiation may limit extended nuclear plant life. Embrittlement, which is manifested as increases in various indexes of a ductile to brittle transition temperatures (ΔT), is primarily due to hardening by nanoscale precipitates containing Cu, Ni, Mn, and Si, which form under irradiation. In addition to these elements, P has also been found to play a role in embrittlement. While only slightly enriched in the precipitates, hardening and embrittlement increase with trace P concentrations in low-Cu steels. Here, we characterize the individual and synergistic irradiation precipitation and hardening mechanisms in a series of RPV steels containing no to low-Cu and with systematic variations in Ni and P. In this study, the steels were irradiated to a fluence of ~ 1.38 x 1020 n/cm2 at ~ 292 °C in the UCSB ATR-2 experiment. In Cu-free medium and high-Ni RPV steels, atom probe tomography shows that P and Ni promotes precipitation of P-Mn-Si-Ni and Mn-Si-Ni precipitates, respectively. The precipitate microstructure correlates with the observed irradiation hardening.
Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517; NE0000639
OSTI ID:
1999994
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU--23-71027-Revision-0
Journal Information:
Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Vol. 585; ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Figures / Tables (20)

Table 1(p. 7)table Table 1
Table 2(p. 7)table Table 2
Table 3(p. 9)table Table 3
Figure 1(p. 11)figure Figure 1
Figure 2(p. 12)figure Figure 2
Figure 3(p. 14)figure Figure 3
Table 4: Part 1(p. 15)table Table 4: Part 1
Table 4: Part 2(p. 16)table Table 4: Part 2
Figure 4(p. 17)figure Figure 4
Table 5(p. 18)table Table 5
Figure 5(p. 19)figure Figure 5
Table 6: Part 1(p. 20)table Table 6: Part 1
Table 6: Part 2(p. 21)table Table 6: Part 2
Figure 6(p. 22)figure Figure 6
Figure 7(p. 22)figure Figure 7
Figure 8(p. 23)figure Figure 8
Figure S1(p. 33)figure Figure S1
Table S1: Part 1(p. 33)table Table S1: Part 1
Table S1: Part 2(p. 34)table Table S1: Part 2
Table S1: Part 3(p. 35)table Table S1: Part 3

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Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
atom probe tomography
embrittlement
irradiation effects
irradiation hardening
microstructure
neutron irradiation embrittlement
phosphorous
precipitation
reactor pressure vessel steel