SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1989
STP10395S

Evaluation of Thermal Annealing Behavior of Neutron-Irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels Using Nondestructive Test Methods

Source

Usually the assessment of the irradiation sensitivity and annealing behavior of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels is performed by means of destructive test methods, mainly impact and tension tests. In this paper a new kind of search for an efficient temperature-time regime for postirradiation thermal heat treatment is presented using nondestructive test methods like positron annihilation (Doppler broadening pararneter S) and hardness (Vickers hardness HV 10).

Samples of Cr-Mo-V RPV steels (Soviet type 15Kh2MFA) were irradiated to different fluence levels of fast neutrons at temperatures T < 156°C in a test reactor (base metal) and T = 265°C in a pressurized water reactor (base as well as weld metal). From isochronal and isothermal annealing curves of HV 10 and S, favorable temperature-time regimes for each type of irradiated material were estimated. The data obtained from tension and impact tests indicate that sufficiently large recoveries took place by application of these regimes.

The new approach presented is especially useful in such cases where only the smallest amounts of irradiated materials are available—a case often met for RPV surveillance specimens.

Author Information

Popp, K
Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Central Institute for Nuclear Research Rossendorf, Dresden, German Democratic Republic
Brauer, G
Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Central Institute for Nuclear Research Rossendorf, Dresden, German Democratic Republic
Leonhardt, W-D
Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Central Institute for Nuclear Research Rossendorf, Dresden, German Democratic Republic
Viehrig, H-W
Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Central Institute for Nuclear Research Rossendorf, Dresden, German Democratic Republic
Price: $25.00
Contact Sales
Related
Reprints and Permissions
Reprints and copyright permissions can be requested through the
Copyright Clearance Center
Details
Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 188–205
DOI: 10.1520/STP10395S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5074-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1187-5