TY - JOUR
T1 - Crack initiation testing of thimble tube material under PWR conditions to determine a stress threshold for IASCC
AU - Bosch, Rik-Wouter
AU - Vankeerberghen, Marc
AU - Gérard, Robert
AU - Someville, Frédéric
A2 - Gavrilov, Serguei
N1 - Score = 10
PY - 2015/3
Y1 - 2015/3
N2 - IASCC (Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking) crack initiation tests have been carried out on thimble tube material retrieved from a Belgian PWR. The crack initiation tests were carried out by constant load testing of thimble tube specimens at different stress levels. The time-to-failure was determined as a function of the applied stress to find a stress threshold under which no stress corrosion cracking will take place. Over a period of four years, more than 40 specimens have been tested with doses ranging from 45 to 80 dpa at stress levels between 40% and 70% of the irradiated yield stress. Fracture occurred at all stress levels (but not all specimens) although the time-to-failure increased with decreasing stress. The results show that intergranular cracking was the main fracture mode in all failed O-rings. Three of six 80 dpa O-rings subjected to 40 and 45 % of the yield stress didn't fail after six months of testing. Based on these results and a comparison with literature data, an apparent stress limit for IASCC could be estimated at 40% of the irradiated yield stress.
AB - IASCC (Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking) crack initiation tests have been carried out on thimble tube material retrieved from a Belgian PWR. The crack initiation tests were carried out by constant load testing of thimble tube specimens at different stress levels. The time-to-failure was determined as a function of the applied stress to find a stress threshold under which no stress corrosion cracking will take place. Over a period of four years, more than 40 specimens have been tested with doses ranging from 45 to 80 dpa at stress levels between 40% and 70% of the irradiated yield stress. Fracture occurred at all stress levels (but not all specimens) although the time-to-failure increased with decreasing stress. The results show that intergranular cracking was the main fracture mode in all failed O-rings. Three of six 80 dpa O-rings subjected to 40 and 45 % of the yield stress didn't fail after six months of testing. Based on these results and a comparison with literature data, an apparent stress limit for IASCC could be estimated at 40% of the irradiated yield stress.
KW - IASCC
KW - flux thimble tube
KW - O-ring testing
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_139902
UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/12804
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.02.038
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.02.038
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 461
SP - 112
EP - 121
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
IS - 06
ER -