Fracture mechanical testing of in service thermally aged cast stainless steel

• Embrittlement of Duplex Stainless Steels by thermal aging shortens the service life of structural components in Light Water Reactors (LWRs). This is an important issue when life extension programs are aiming at 60-80 years in service, as ductile failure is a design prerequisite. Cast and welded austenitic stainless steels, which contain some ferrite, are known to be affected by thermal aging. Historically, many LWR components of complex geometry have been cast in the Mo-containing quality CF8M. Aging is mainly attributed to two types of phase transformations occurring within the minor ferritic phase; Demixing of the ferrite by spinodal decomposition into Cr-rich a´ and Fe-rich a regions; and precipitation of G-phase, carbides and other secondary phases.The present program of two in-service aged pipe bend castings from the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Ringhals 2 Steam Generator. These components are large castings of stainless steel quality CF8M. The manufacturing process produces a non-uniform microstructure with coarse ferrite and a high degree of directionality affecting properties as well as the methodology for testing.The materials were exposed to primary circuit PWR water for 72 kh at 291ºC and 325ºC, respectively, followed by 22 kh at a reduced service temperature.Fracture mechanical evaluation using the J-R technique at RT and 300ºC as well as instrumented Charpy-tests ranging from -196ºC to +400ºC are conducted. Effects of large microstructural heterogeneity and anisotropy from the casting and heat treating processes are tested and evaluated. The change of these parameters effect on aging embrittlement and fracture mechanisms within each phase as well as phase interaction are also studied.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Metallurgi och metalliska material (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Metallurgy and Metallic Materials (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

thermal aging

cast austenitic stainless steel (CASS)

fracture mechanical testing

spinodal decomposition

Teknisk materialvetenskap

Materials Science and Engineering

Hållfasthetslära

Solid Mechanics

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