Estimation of mechanical properties of cast stainless steels during thermal aging in LWR systems

摘要

A procedure and correlations are presented for assessing thermal embrittlement and predicting mechanical properties of cast stainless steels under light water reactor operating conditions from known material information. The ''saturation'' fracture toughness of a cast stainless steel, i.e., the minimum value that would be achieved for the material after long-term service, is estimated from the chemical composition of the steel. Fracture properties as a function of time and temperature of service are estimated from the kinetics of embrittlement, which are also determined from chemical composition. The correlations successfully predict fracture toughness, Charpy-impact, and tensile properties of cast stainless steels from the Shippingport, Ringhals, and KRB reactors.