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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Hydrogen-assisted crack growth of A508-2 in high-temperature pressurized reactor-grade water

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6654433

Based on fractographic evidence the accelerated fatigue crack growth rate seen under certain circumstances at simulated pressurized water reactor grade water in A508-2 forging steel is due to hydrogen assistance. Hydrogen entry into the crack tip region and subsequent high crack growth rate occurs at lower temperatures when the time of the fatigue cycle exceeds a certain limit of the order of seconds. At higher temperatures, close to the reactor operating temperatures, hydrogen entry is possible only at certain intermediate frequencies; the rapid repassivation or crack tip blunting at lower frequencies prevents this effect. At low Delta K-levels hydrogen entry may be too limited to introduce any effect, at higher Delta K-levels the accelerated crack growth rates bendover back to the ASME air line occurs, this being due to a change in crack growth mechanism or electrochemical conditions at the crack tip.

Research Organization:
Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus, Espoo (Finland). Metallilaboratorio
OSTI ID:
6654433
Report Number(s):
PB-82-204389
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English