Crack growth rates of irradiated austenitic stainless steel weld heat affected zone in BWR environments.
Austenitic stainless steels (SSs) are used extensively as structural alloys in the internal components of reactor pressure vessels because of their superior fracture toughness. However, exposure to high levels of neutron irradiation for extended periods can exacerbate the corrosion fatigue and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of these steels by affecting the material microchemistry, material microstructure, and water chemistry. Experimental data are presented on crack growth rates of the heat affected zone (HAZ) in Types 304L and 304 SS weld specimens before and after they were irradiated to a fluence of 5.0 x 10{sup 20} n/cm{sup 2} (E > 1 MeV) ({approx} 0.75 dpa) at {approx}288 C. Crack growth tests were conducted under cycling loading and long hold time trapezoidal loading in simulated boiling water reactor environments on Type 304L SS HAZ of the H5 weld from the Grand Gulf reactor core shroud and on Type 304 SS HAZ of a laboratory-prepared weld. The effects of material composition, irradiation, and water chemistry on growth rates are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- NRC
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 925223
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-04/20
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
Similar Records
Crack growth rates and fracture toughness of irradiated austenitic stainless steels in BWR environments.
Environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors annual report January - December 2005.