IASCC susceptibility of low-fluence stainless steels evaluated by in-flux slow strain rate tests. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:378909

Harling, O K; Kohse, G E; Ballinger, R G ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Nuclear Reactor Lab.

Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking affects the structural reliability of austenitic stainless steels exposed to high flux in BWRs. The focus of this investigation was to measure the susceptibility of low fluence types 304 and 316L stainless steels to irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) and to evaluate the contribution of instantaneous radiation effects on IASCC susceptibility. IASCC susceptibility has been extensively investigated by out-of-flux tests, primarily by the slow strain rate (SSR) technique, which only include effects of accumulated radiation damage. Results from comparative in-flux tests would reveal the applicability of out-of-flux tests data for predicting in-core materials` behavior. In conclusion, the IASCC susceptibility determined for CP type 304 and type 316L by in-flux SSR tests was similar to that found in out-of-flux SSR tests conducted at high oxygen concentrations. Mild susceptibility to IASCC was observed in the pre-irradiated CP 304 alloy and no IASCC was observed on the pre-irradiated 316L specimens. For low fluence CP type 304 and type 316L, the IASCC susceptibility, fracture mode and dependence on mechanical, microchemical and electrochemical parameters evaluated by in-flux SSRT were comparable to results determined by out-of-flux SSRT. This indicated that in-flux and out-of-flux environments with the same ECP are equivalent.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Nuclear Reactor Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 378909
• Report Number(s): EPRI-TR--106299
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CRACK PROPAGATION
EMBRITTLEMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MICROSTRUCTURE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
RECOMMENDATIONS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEEL-316L
WATER CHEMISTRY