Helium embrittlement cracking during patch welding in Savannah River C-reactor

Conference · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5740911

Kanne, Jr, W R

A repair patch was welded to the wall of a nuclear reactor tank using remotely controlled thirty-foot long robot arms. Further repair was halted when gas tungsten Arc (GTA) welds joining type 304L stainless steel patches to the 304 stainless steel wall developed toe cracks in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The role of helium in cracking was investigated using material with entrapped helium from tritium decay. As a result of this investigation, and of an extensive array of diagnostic tests performed on reactor tank wall material, helium embrittlement was shown to be the cause of the toe cracks. 10 refs., 13 figs.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 5740911
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-89-40; CONF-8910212--1; ON: DE90000660
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
ARC WELDING
AUSTENITIC STEELS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACKS
EMBRITTLEMENT
FABRICATION
GAS TUNGSTEN-ARC WELDING
HEAT AFFECTED ZONE
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HELIUM EMBRITTLEMENT
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
ISOTOPES
JOINING
LEAKS
LIGHT NUCLEI
LOW CA
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR VESSELS
REACTORS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR19NI10-L
STEELS
TRITIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WELDABILITY
WELDING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZONES