Radiation degradation mechanisms of reactor graphites properties

Abstract

Reactor graphite is used as the material for the graphite stack of Russian RBMK power reactors. Long-term operation of the reactor’s graphite stack at high operating temperatures (500-700)°С and neutron irradiation leads to a significant degradation of the graphite’s properties, which may limit the lifetime of the entire nuclear power plant. In this paper the properties degradation mechanisms of graphite materials at different stages of RBMK reactors operation was studied to justify their service life.