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Corrosion-assisted cracking of stainless and low-alloy steels in LWR (light water reactor) environments: Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6683579
The primary objective of this investigation was to develop a quantitative model which could correctly predict the effects of material, environment, and stress-related parameters on the stress-corrosion and the corrosion fatigue behavior of stainless and low-alloy steels in high-temperature water. The approach used was, first, to hypothesize that the film-rupture mechanism of environmentally controlled crack propagation was appropriate for these ductile alloy/aqueous environment systems; second, to quantify the parameters of importance in this mechanism, i.e., the crack-tip environment and the electrode reaction rates in such an environment; and, finally, to evolve theoretical predictions of crack propagation rates for variations in material, environment, and stress parameters, and to examine the validity of the original hypothesis by comparing these predictions with observation. It was concluded that the film-rupture model of environmentally enhanced cracking was statistically valid for the stainless steel and low-alloy steel/high-temperature water systems - at least for the metallurgical and environmental conditions peculiar to those in piping and pressure vessels of light water reactors.
Research Organization:
General Electric Co., Schenectady, NY (USA). Materials Lab.
OSTI ID:
6683579
Report Number(s):
EPRI-NP-5064-M; ON: TI87920308
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English