Abstract
Nuclear energy system core components constructed of austenitic stainless steel are subject to radiation damage leading to specific degradation mechanisms such as void swelling and irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking. One method for mitigating or delaying radiation damage is to engineer the bulk composition. Three possible compositional engineering methods are described in this paper. Each starts with either a base model 304 or 316 alloy and makes composition modifications. The effect of increasing bulk nickel, the effect of adding the oversized solute Zr, and the effect of adding minor elements Mo and P are analyzed on samples irradiated with 3.2 MeV protons at 400°C to either 0.5 or 1.0 dpa. The results of hardness measurements and microstructural and microchemical characterizations are reported. Increasing Ni increases hardening, decreases swelling and increases grain boundary segregation. Increasing Zr decreases hardening, decreases swelling, and increases grain boundary segregation. The addition of P increases hardening, decreases swelling, and decreases grain boundary segregation.
| Original language | English |
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| State | Published - 2003 |
| Event | 2nd International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP 2003 - Cordoba, Spain Duration: May 4 2003 → May 7 2003 |
Conference
| Conference | 2nd International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP 2003 |
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| Country/Territory | Spain |
| City | Cordoba |
| Period | 05/4/03 → 05/7/03 |