On the Failure Mechanisms in Reactor Pressure Vessel with Austenitic Cladding

摘要

The austenitic cladding of the WWER pressure vessel is made from two different layers with different fracture toughness values. Based on the fractographic analysis of the tested specimens in the initial, as well as in the irradiated conditions, it was found that individual failure micromechanisms take place during the crack propagation. The obtained results were used to find the relationship between the failure micromechanism changes and the fracture toughness values, as well as to assess the effect of neutron irradiation on the failure micromechanisms.