Abstract

The effect of dynamic strain ageing (DSA) on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels has been investigated. The experimental investigation was conducted on an A533B Class 1 steel subjected to slow strain rate test (SSRT) at a nominal strain rate of 2 {times} 10{sup {minus}6}/s in stagnant primary water at 250 C. Various DSA responses of the steel were achieved by appropriate heat-treatment processes. The evaluation was made under identical environment conditions. The results demonstrated that DSA enhanced the SCC which was consistently observed only in the steel that was heat-treated to give the most significant DSA hardening effect. The SSRT and fractographic evidence supports the previous observations based on the data analysis, i.e. there was a coincidence of temperature and strain rate between the DSA hardening and the susceptibility to environment-assisted cracking (EAC) of RPV steels. The mechanistic role of DSA and its interaction with other influential variables in the enhancement of SCC are discussed.

Full Text

Published Version

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.