ASTM E636

Practice E 185 describes a minimum program for the surveillance of reactor vessel materials, specifically mechanical property changes that occur in service. Guide E 636 may be applied in order to generate additional specific fracture toughness property information on radiation-induced property changes to better assist the determination of the optimum reactor vessel operation schemes.

1. Scope

1.1 This guide discusses test procedures that can be used in conjunction with, but not as alternatives to, those required by Practice E 185 for the surveillance of nuclear reactor vessels. The supplemental mechanical property tests outlined permit the acquisition of additional information on radiation-induced changes in fracture toughness, notch ductility, and tensile strength properties of the reactor vessel steels.

1.2 This guide provides recommendations for the preparation of test specimens for irradiation, and identifies special precautions and requirements for reactor surveillance operations and postirradiation test planning. Guidance on data reduction and computational procedures is also given. Reference is made to other ASTM test methods for the physical conduct of specimen tests and for raw data acquisition.

2. Referenced Documents

E1221 Test Method for Determining Plane-Strain Crack-Arrest Fracture Toughness, K, of Ferritic Steels
E1253 Guide for Reconstitution of Irradiated Charpy-Sized Specimens
E1820 Test Method for Measurement of Fracture Toughness
E184 Practice for Effects of High-Energy Neutron Radiation on the Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials, E706 (IB)
E185 Practice for Conducting Surveillance Tests for Light Water Cooled Nuclear Power Reactor Vessels, E706 (IF)
E1921 Test Method for Determination of Reference Temperature, T, for Ferritic Steels in the Transition Range
E23 Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials
E399 Test Method for Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness of Metallic Materials
E482 Guide for Application of Neutron Transport Methods for Reactor Vessel Surveillance, E706 (IID)
E560 Practice for Extrapolating Reactor Vessel Surveillance Dosimetry Results, E706 (IC)
E616 Terminology Relating to Fracture Testing
E706 Master Matrix for Light-Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Surveillance Standards, E706 (0)
E8 Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Subsection NB (Class 1 Components)
ISO 14556 Steel Charpy V-notch Pendulum Impact Test- Instrumented Test Method

Index Terms

fracture toughness; irradiation; notch ductility; nuclear reactor vessels; surveillance (of nuclear reactor vessels); ICS Number Code 27.120.10

Citing ASTM Standards

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