Gamma Ray-Induced Embritilement of Pressure Vessel Alloys

Abstract

AbstractHigh-energy gamma rays emitted from the core of a nuclear reactor produce displacement damage in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The contribution of gamma damage to RPV embrittlement has in the past been discounted. However, in certain reactor designs the gamma flux at the RPV is sufficiently large that its contribution to displacement damage can be substantial. For example, gamma rays have been implicated in the RPV embrittlement observed in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.In the present study, mechanical property changes induced by 10-MeV electron irradiation of a model Fe alloy and an RPV alloy of interest to the HFIR were examined. Tensile specimens were irradiated with high-energy electrons to reproduce damage characteristic of the Compton recoil-electrons induced by gamma bombardment. Substantial increases in yield and ultimate stress were observed in the alloys after irradiation to doses up to 5.3x10−3 dpa at temperatures (~50°C) characteristic of the HFIR pressure vessel. These measured increases were similar to those previously obtained following neutron irradiation, despite the highly disparate nature of the damage generated during electron and neutron irradiations.