Effects of Neutron Irradiation on Creep-Rupture Properties of Type 316 Stainless Steel Tubes

Abstract

The effects of irradiation in the Dounreay Fast Reactor and the Dounreay Materials Testing Reactor on the creep-rupture-properties of Type 316 stainless steel tubing were investigated. DFR irradiation produced a loss of rupture ductility but, in general, no change in creep strength in 650 C biaxial tests of solution-treated material. Cold-worked tubes suffered a loss of 550 C creep strength. Irradiation of solution-treated tubes at 650 C in DMTR caused a severe loss of high-temperature ductility and a tenfold reduction of creep rate both during and after irradiation. It is possible that an irradiation-induced carbide precipitation process is responsible for the increase of creep strength.

Initial evaluation of dry storage issues for spent nuclear fuels in wet storage at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

“…test reactors show a reduction in failure strain, with a residual strain ductility of usually at least 0.01 (Olson et al 1976;Gilbert and Harding 1969;Standring et al 1969;Van der Schaaf 1982;Harries 1979;Beeston 1981).…”

Fuel Rod Design Limit and Transient Survival Criteria.

“…This is true whether the transient considered is a one time occurrence or occurs a number of times. Although available data [68] gives some insight as to the probable range of failure strain, it involved post-irradiation testing that is not completely typical of LMFBR design conditions; therefore, this data cannot be used to predict failure strain with any degree of certainty. In this study, a failure strain of 1 percent superimposed over normal steady state operating strains was adopted.…”