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Experimental tests of irradiation-anneal-reirradiation effects on mechanical properties of RPV plate and weld materials

Conference ·
OSTI ID:679498
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Electric Power Research Inst., Charlotte, NC (United States)
  2. Materials Engineering Associates, Inc., Lanham, MD (United States)
  3. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The Charpy-V (C{sub v}) notch ductility and tensile properties of three reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel materials were determined for the 288 C (550 F) irradiated (I), 288 C (550 F) irradiated + 454 C (850 F) - 168 h postirradiation annealed (IA), and 288 C (550 F) reirradiated (IAR) conditions. Total fluences of the I condition and the IAR condition were, respectively, 3.33 {times} 10{sup 19} n/cm{sup 2} and 4.18 {times} 10{sup 19} n/cm{sup 2}, E > 1 MeV. The irradiation portion of the IAR condition represents an incremental fluence increase of 1.05 {times} 10{sup 19} n/cm{sup 2}, E > 1 MeV, over the I-condition fluence. The annealing treatment produced full C{sub v} upper shelf recovery and full or nearly full recovery in the C{sub v} 41 J (30 ft-lb) transition temperature. The C{sub v} transition temperature increases produced by the reirradiation exposure were 22% to 43% of the increase produced by the first cycle irradiation exposure. A somewhat greater radiation embrittlement sensitivity and a somewhat greater reirradiation embrittlement sensitivity were exhibited by the low nickel content plate than the high nickel content plate. The IAR-condition properties of the surface vs. interior regions of the low nickel content plate are also compared.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratory
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
679498
Report Number(s):
CONF-960643--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English