Fracture toughness of irradiated wrought and cast austenitic stainless steels in BWR environment.

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2007

OSTI ID:982624

Chopra, O K; Gruber, E E; Shack, W J

In light water reactors, austenitic stainless steels (SSs) are used extensively as structural alloys in reactor core internal components because of their high strength, ductility, and fracture toughness. Exposure to high levels of neutron irradiation for extended periods degrades the fracture properties of these steels by changing the material microstructure (e.g., radiation hardening) and microchemistry (e.g., radiation-induced segregation). We look at the results of a study of simulated light-water reactor coolants, material chemistry, and irradiation damage and their effects on the susceptibility to stress-corrosion cracking of various commercially available and laboratory-melted stainless steels.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USNRC
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 982624
• Report Number(s): ANL/NE/CP-59818; TRN: US201015%%1234
• Resource Relation: Conference: 13th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems; Aug. 19, 2007 - Aug. 23, 2007; Whistler, B.C., Canada
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ENVIRONMENT
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
NUCLEAR POWER
RADIATION HARDENING
REACTOR CORES
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
VISIBLE RADIATION