Evaluation of stainless steel pipe cracking: causes and fixes
Leaks and cracks in the heat-affected zones of weldments in austenitic stainless steel piping and associated components of boiling water reactors (BWRs) have been observed since the mid-1960s. Since that time, cracking has continued to occur and indications have been found in all parts of the recirculation system, including the largest diameter lines. Proposed solutions include remedies primarily intended to produce a more favorable residual stress state, materials which are more resistant to stress corrosion cracking (SCC), and changes in the reactor environment which decrease the susceptibility to cracking. In addition to evaluating these remedies, it is also important to gain a better understanding of key variables such as residual stresses, crack growth rates, and the leak-before-break margin in flawed piping, which may impact regulatory decisions on operating plants. The main areas of effort during the past year have been (1) studies of impurity effects on susceptibility to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC), (2) crack growth rate measurements, (3) finite-element studies of residual stress produced by induction heating stress improvement (IHSI) and the addition of weld overlays to flawed piping, (4) leak-before-break analyses of piping with 360/sup 0/ part-through cracks, and (5) parametric studies on the effect of through-wall residual stresses on IGSCC crack growth behavior in large-diameter piping weldments. 5 references, 15 figures, 2 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 5560148
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8310143-60; ON: DE84003459
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
210100 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103* -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
DATA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FRACTURE MECHANICS
INFORMATION
INTERGRANULAR CORROSION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PIPES
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS