2017 Status report-Tritium aging studies on stainless steel: Effect of hydrogen, tritium and decay helium on the fracture-toughness properties of stem, cup and block forgings
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
The materials of construction of tritium reservoirs are forged stainless steels. During service, the structural properties of the stainless steel change over time because of the diffusion of tritium into the reservoir wall and its radioactive decay to helium-3. This aging effect can cause cracks to initiate and grow which could result in a tritium leak or delayed failure of a tritium reservoir. Numerous factors affect the tendency for crack formation and propagation and are being investigated in this program. The goal of the research is to provide relevant fracture mechanics data that can be used by the design agencies in their assessments of tritium reservoir structural integrity. In this status report, new experimental results are presented on the effects of tritium and decay helium on the cracking properties of specimens taken from actual tritium reservoir forgings instead of the experimental forgings of past programs. The properties measured are more representative of actual reservoir properties because the microstructure of the specimens tested are more like that of the actual tritium reservoirs. The program was designed to measure the effects of material variables on tritium compatibility and includes two stainless steels (Type 304L and 316L stainless steel), multiple yield strengths (360-500 MPa), and multiple forging shapes (Stem, Cup, and Block).
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-08SR22470
- OSTI ID:
- 1368550
- Report Number(s):
- SRNL-STI-2017-00416
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
2016 Accomplishments. Tritium aging studies on stainless steel. Forging process effects on the fracture toughness properties of tritium-precharged stainless steel
Tritium Aging Effects on Fracture Toughness of Stainless Steel Weldments