The influence of metallurgical variables on the temperature dependence of irradiation hardening in pressure vessel steels

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:524822

Odette, G R; Lucas, G E; Klingensmith, R D ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Yield stress elevations ({Delta}{sigma}{sub y}) in pressure vessel steels irradiated at intermediate flux and fluence systematically decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing copper and nickel content. Lower stress relief temperature also decreased {Delta}{sigma}{sub y} at bulk copper concentrations greater than about 0.3%. The dependence of {Delta}{sigma}{sub y} on irradiation temperature between 260 and 316 C increased with copper and nickel content and decreased with phosphorus content. When normalized by the average {Delta}{sigma}{sub y}, the fractional temperature dependence correlates with a simple empirical chemistry factor of copper and phosphorus. The correlation predicts data on the irradiation temperature dependence of {Delta}{sigma}{sub y} found in the literature within a standard error of about 0.3 MPa/{degree}C and is consistent with current understanding of hardening mechanisms. However, questions remain about the effects at very low flux and finer scale variations over smaller temperature intervals.

• Sponsoring Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 524822
• Report Number(s): CONF-940657--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
EMBRITTLEMENT
METALLURGICAL EFFECTS
PRESSURE VESSELS
RADIATION HARDENING
REACTOR MATERIALS
STEELS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE