Crack growth rate and fracture toughness of cf3 cast stainless steels at ~3 DPA

Abstract

Cast austenitic stainless steels (CASS) used in reactor core internals are subject to high-temperature coolant and energetic neutron irradiation during power operations. Due to both thermal aging and irradiation embrittlement, the long-term performance of CASS materials is of concern. To assess the cracking behavior of irradiated CASS alloys, crack growth rate (CGR) and fracture toughness J-R curve tests were performed on two CF3 alloys. Miniature compact tension specimens were irradiated to ~3 dpa, and were tested at ~315 °C in simulated LWR coolant environments with low corrosion potentials. No elevated cracking susceptibility was observed at this dose in the test environments. The power exponents of the 3 dpa J-R curves were much lower than that of unirradiated or irradiated specimens at lower doses, indicating a significant decline in fracture resistance. A preliminary microstructural study revealed irradiation-induced microstructural changes in both austenite and ferrite, suggesting an embrittlement mechanism involving both phases at this dose level.