Remote reactor repair: GTA (gas tungsten Arc) weld cracking caused by entrapped helium

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5098240

Kanne, Jr, W R

A repair patch was welded to the wall of a nuclear reactor tank using remotely controlled thirty-foot long robot arms. Further repair was halted when gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds joining type 304L stainless steel patches to the 304 stainless steel wall developed toe cracks in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The role of helium in cracking was investigated using material with entrapped helium from tritium decay. As a result of this investigation, and of an extensive array of diagnostic tests performed on reactor tank wall material, helium embrittlement was shown to be the cause of the toe cracks.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 5098240
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-87-66; CONF-8804142-3; ON: DE88009098
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Welding Society meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, 18 Apr 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
STAINLESS STEEL-304
GAS TUNGSTEN-ARC WELDING
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
HELIUM
ROBOTS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
ALLOYS
ARC WELDING
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINING
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WELDING
420200* - Engineering- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques