Environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors
Research during the past year focused on (1) stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of austentitic stainless steels (SS), (2) fatigue of Type 316NG SS, and (3) SCC of ferritic steels used in reactor piping, pressure vessels, and steam generators. Stress corrosion cracking studies on austentitic SS explored the critical strains required for crack initiation, the effects of crevice conditions on SCC susceptibility, heat-to-heat variations in SCC susceptibility of Type 316NG and modified Type 347 SS, the effect of heat treatment on the susceptibility of Type 347 SS, threshold stress intensity values for crack growth in Type 316NG SS, and the effects of cuprous ion and several organic salts on the SCC of sensitized Type 304 SS. Crevice conditions were observed to strongly promote SCC. Significant heat-to-heat variations were observed in SCC susceptibility of Types 316NG and 347 SS. No correlation was found between SCC behavior and minor variations in chemical composition. A significant effect of heat treatment was observed in Type 347 SS. A heat that was extremely resistant to SCC after heat treatment at 650/degree/C for 24 h was susceptible to transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC) in the solution-annealed condition. Although there was no sensitization in either condition, the presence or absence of precipitates and differences in precipitate morphology appear to influence the SCC behavior. 20 refs., 20 figs., 11 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6572300
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8810155-25; ON: DE89004204
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
BOILERS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
FERRITIC STEELS
FRACTURE MECHANICS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ADDITIONS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
PIPES
PRESSURE VESSELS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEEL-316
STAINLESS STEEL-347
STAINLESS STEELS
STEAM GENERATORS
STEEL-CR17NI12MO3
STEEL-CR19NI10
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
VAPOR GENERATORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS