DOE OSTI2017
Life extension of the existing nuclear reactors imposes irradiation of high fluences to structural materials, resulting in significant challenges to the traditional reactor materials such as type 304 and 316 stainless steels. Advanced alloys with superior radiation resistance will increase safety margins, design flexibility, and economics for not only the life extension of the existing fleet but also new builds with advanced reactor designs. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) teamed up with Department of Energy (DOE) to initiate the Advanced Radiation Resistant Materials (ARRM) program, aiming to develop and test degradation resistant alloys from current commercial alloy specifications by 2021 to a new advanced alloy with superior degradation resistance in light water reactor (LWR)-relevant environments by 2024. Fracture toughness is one of the key engineering properties required for core internal materials. Together with other properties, which are being examined such as high-temperature steam oxidation resistance, radiation hardening, and irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking resistance, the alloys will be down-selected for neutron irradiation study and comprehensive post-irradiation examinations. According to the candidate alloys selected under the ARRM program, ductile fracture toughness of eight alloys was evaluated at room temperature and the LWR-relevant temperatures. The tested alloys include two ferritic alloys (Grade 92 and an oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloy 14YWT), two austenitic stainless steels (316L and 310), four Ni-base superalloys (718A, 725, 690, and X750). Alloy 316L and X750 are included as reference alloys for low- and high-strength alloys, respectively. Compact tension specimens in 0.25T and 0.2T were machined from the alloys in the T-L and R-L orientations according to the product forms of the alloys. This report summarizes the final results of the specimens tested and analyzed per ASTM Standard E1820. Unlike the ferritic alloys showing slight decreases (Grade 92) or significant decreases (14YWT) in fracture toughness at elevated temperatures, the fracture toughness of the austenitic stainless steels and Ni-base superalloys were not strongly dependent upon the test temperatures. The fracture toughness of the alloys at the LWR-relevant temperatures was estimated by averaging the toughness values within 250– 350°C, which suggested the fracture toughness of the alloys in a descending order as 316L (752±98 MPa√m), 310 (513±66 MPa√m), 718A (313±43 MPa√m), 690 (267±48 MPa√m), 725 (218±55 MPa√m), X750 (145±16 MPa√m), Grade 92 (112±12 MPa√m), and 14YWT (63±3 MPa√m). Tearing modulus of the alloys was analyzed in the meantime, which were not strongly dependent upon the test temperatures. The high-strength alloys 718A, 725, X750, and 14YWT had the lowest tearing modulus, ranging from ~45 to ~7. Alloy 690 exhibited the highest tearing modulus on the order of 450, followed by 316L and 310 on the order of 260. Grade 92 had a noticeably lower tearing modulus on the order of 70.