IRRADIATION BEHAVIOR OF AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL BURNABLE POISONS

Technical Report · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4760800

Gray, R G; Yeniscavich, W; Lynam, L R

Irradiation testing of 1 and 1 1/2 wt% B/sup 10/ austenitic stainless steel alloys to depletions of as high as 98% of the B/sup 10/ showed that the behavior of the alloys is consistent with a proposed model of irradiation damage in B/sup 10/ iron base alloys. The model attributes irradiation damage to the embrittlement of the alloy matrix by the transmutation of the B/sup 10/ in solid solution, to recoil of the transmutation products in the matrix from the boride particles, and to the formation of microcracks within the embrittled matrix caused by boride particle swelling. The solid volume swelling rate of the alloys was determined to be 0.33% DELTA V per 10/sup 20/ B/sup 10/ depletions per cc. The restraint of the Zircaloy cladding was not effective in reducing the solid volume swelling rate of the alloys, but the restraints caused anisotropic volume swelling with least dimensional change in the direction of greatest restraint. The corrosion resistance of the alloys was not noticeably reduced by irradiation, and direction of greatest restraint. The corrosion resistance of the alloys was not noticeably reduced by irradiation, and the alloys also exhibited the ability to retain essentially all the helium gas produced during irradiation. (auth)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• NSA Number: NSA-16-032156
• OSTI ID: 4760800
• Report Number(s): WAPD-262
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ADSORPTION
ANISOTROPY
AUSTENITE
BORIDES
BORON 10
BRITTLENESS
BURNUP
CANNING
CONTROL
CORROSION
CRACKS
EXPANSION
IRON ALLOYS
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NEUTRON BEAMS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PARTICLES
POISONING
RADIATION EFFECTS
RECOILS
SOLID SOLUTIONS
STAINLESS STEELS
ZIRCALOY