In-vessel material analysis of AGR steam generator tubes

摘要

Materials are often analysed by removing a sample, transporting it to a suitable laboratory and applying analytical techniques that depend on the nature of the sample and the information required. In many cases the elemental makeup of a material must be established: measuring the chromium content of steel tubes to assess their susceptibility to wear-enhanced corrosion, for example, or determining steel grades before repairing welds. But removing physical samples is time-consuming, costly and, in cases where many samples are required, problematic or impractical from a quality assurance point of view. Removing samples can generate secondary wastes, and sample removal can compromise the mechanical strength and integrity of the component under examination.