DEVELOPMENT OF TEST TECHNIQUES FOR IN-PILE SCC INITIATION AND GROWTH TESTS AND THE CURRENT STATUS OF IN-PILE TESTING AT JMTR

摘要

Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) is one of the critical concerns when stainless steel components have been in service in light water reactors (LWRs) for a long period. In general, IASCC can be reproduced on the materials irradiated over a certain threshold fluence level of fast neutron by the post-irradiation examinations (PIEs). It is, however, considered that the reproduced IASCC by PIEs must be carefully compared with the actual IASCC in nuclear power plants, because the actual IASCC occurs in the core under simultaneous effects of radiation, stress and high temperature water environment. In the research field of IASCC, mainly PIEs for irradiated materials have been carried out, because there are many difficulties on SCC tests under neutron irradiation. Hence as a part of the key techniques for in-pile SCC tests, we have embarked on a development of the test technique to obtain information concerning effects of applied stress level, water chemistry, irradiation conditions, etc. In this paper, we describe the developed several techniques, especially control of loading on specimens, monitoring technique of crack initiation, propagation and water chemistry, and the current status of in-pile SCC tests using thermally sensitized materials at JMTR.