An irradiation creep law evaluated for nuclear graphite at high dose and temperature

On estimating the fracture probability of nuclear graphite components

“…Beyond the turnaround, the contraction stops and eventually the graphite begins to expand with increased dose or reactor operation. A significant contributor to this behavior is the creep of graphite under irradiation, much like the thermal creep under stress for metallic materials [32]. The fracture of graphite during reactor operation is thus governed by these complex interactions that contribute to strain accommodation during reactor service.…”