Charpy upper shelf energy and crack resistance

The correlation between Charpy upper shelf energy and crack resistance was investigated by means of instrumented impact tests (ISO-V specimens) and fracture mechanics tests (CT specimens) using four different steels. The strict definition of the Rice J-integral was not applied to the ISO-V specimens. Defining J as the first derivative of deformation energy, it was possible to obtain crack resistance curves of ISO-V specimens and CT specimens. This correlation has been obtained in steels of yield strength between 365 and 480 N/mm² and is independent of the material. The mechanical basis of this relation can be understood in terms of the criterion for ductile fracture. 60 to 80% of the upper shelf energy is consumed by stable crack growth according to these experiments. The upper shelf energy is useful as a screening test for crack resistance curves. More definite crack resistance values can be estimated from instrumented impact test carried out in dependence on temperature. It seems to be possible to estimate the required upper shelf energy to be specified in regulations with respect to ductile failure safety on the basis of materials mechanics.     

Use of the Master Curve methodology for real three dimensional cracks

At VTT, development work has been in progress for 15 years to develop and validate testing and analysis methods applicable for fracture resistance determination from small material samples. The VTT approach is a holistic approach by which to determine static, dynamic and crack arrest fracture toughness properties either directly or by correlations from small material samples. The development work has evolved a testing standard for fracture toughness testing in the transition region. The standard, known as the Master Curve standard is in a way “first of a kind”, since it includes guidelines on how to properly treat the test data for use in structural integrity assessment. No standard, so far, has done this. The standard is based on the VTT approach, but presently, the VTT approach goes beyond the standard. Key components in the standard are statistical expressions for describing the data scatter, and for predicting a specimens size (crack front length) effect and an expression (Master Curve) for the fracture toughness temperature dependence. The standard and the approach, it is based upon, can be considered to represent the state of the art of small specimen fracture toughness characterization. Normally, the Master Curve parameters are determined using test specimens with “straight” crack fronts and comparatively uniform stress state along the crack front. This enables the use of a single K_I value and single constraint value to describe the whole specimen. For a real crack in a structure, this is usually not the case. Normally, both K_I and constraint vary along the crack front and in the case of a thermal shock, even the temperature will vary along the crack front. A proper means of applying the Master Curve methodology for such cases is presented here.     

Elastic-plastic fracture toughness behavior of heavy section steels for nuclear pressure vessels

Fracture toughness tests were performed in the transition region for ASTM A508 Class 3 steel using about 160 specimens. The K_J-values which are converted from J_c of the smaller specimens indicated a wide scatter ranging from below the K_Ic-value to much higher toughness. The fast brittle fracture behavior in the transition regime can be divided into two regions: (1) the region where fracture occurs on a blunting line (Region I) and (2) the region where fracture occurs on an R-curve (Region II). The scatter of the K_J-values in each region is caused by the amount of crack extension contained in the specimens. The methods to obtain the fracture toughness equivalent to the K_Ic from the K_J values were also presented.In the upper shelf region, the ductile fracture behavior of A508 Class 3 base metal and weldments was investigated. The 25% side grooved specimen was recommended for measuring the resistance against ductile crack growth. The weld heat affected zone (HAZ) has comparatively higher tearing modulus, whereas the weld metal shows the lowest one.     

On the required toughness for the application of the net section yield criterion on nuclear power plant components

The principles of plastic limit load are recaptured. A method is developed to calculate lower bound estimates of critical crack sizes for nuclear plant components. More than 250 fracture mechanics experiments on specimen and component geometries have been evaluated focussing on the material toughness in terms of Charpy-V energy. The thus determined Charpy threshold value for the application of the aforementioned method is 45 J regardless whether the material has already reached the upper shelf toughness or is still within the transition region. The method is not able to cope with the phenomenon of “ductile tearing”. However when predicting critical crack sizes the method yields conservative results even when ductile tearing must be expected.     

Micromechanisms and toughness for cleavage fracture of steel

A complete understanding of the fracture mechanisms of steel in the ductile/brittle transition region requires analysis not only of crack initiation, but also of crack propagation. This paper reviews micrographic and fractographic experiments that give insight into both phenomena, and suggests a frame-work through which both may be related.Unstable cleavage crack initiation can occur after some blunting of the original fatigue precrack or after some stable crack growth. In either event, instability appears to be triggered by the fracture of a brittle micro-constituent ahead of the precrack. The large scatter in reported K_Ic values within the transition region reflects the size distribution and relative scarcity of these “trigger” particles.While a large number of models have attempted to correlate toughness in the ductile/brittle transition regime to events occurring ahead of the crack tip, surprisingly little attention has been paid to events occurring behind the crack front. Fractographic evidence as well as metallographic sectioning of arrested cracks show that the mechanism of rapid crack propagation by cleavage is affected strongly by partial crack-plane deflection which leaves unbroken ligaments in its wake. The tearing of these ligaments by dimple-rupture is the dominant energy-absorbing mechanism. Etch-pit experiments using an Fe-Si alloy show that the crack-tip stress intensity based on plastic zone size is extremely low. It is suggested that the mechanism of crack arrest should be modeled using a sharp crack which is restrained by a distribution of discrete pinching forces along its faces. The same model is applied to crack initiation.     

Influence of microstructural inhomogeneities on the fracture toughness of modified 9Cr–1Mo steel at 298–823 K

Quasistatic fracture behaviour of two heats of modified 9Cr–1Mo steel for steam generator applications have been assessed at 298, 653 and 823 K. J–R curves were established and the elastic–plastic fracture toughness values at 0.2 mm crack extension (J_0.2) were determined. The fracture mechanisms were entirely different for the two steels at 298 K, with brittle fracture controlled by cleavage crack initiation in one and ductile fracture in the other by void nucleation and growth. At 653 and 823 K, fracture in both materials was by ductile crack growth. The difference in behaviour between the two steels at 298 K was attributed to the differences in microstructure, distribution and density of inclusions as well as phosphorous contents.     

Results and conclusions from the first pressurized-thermal-shock experiment

The first pressurized-thermal-shock test of a 148 mm thick steel pressure vessel with a 1 m long flaw was performed to investigate fracture behavior of a vessel under conditions relevant to a flawed nuclear reactor pressure vessel during an overcooling accident. The objectives were to observe crack arrest and stability on the ductile upper shelf and the effects of warm prestressing on crack initiation. Three coordinated pressure and thermal transients were imposed on the vessel, which was preheated to 290°C. Two episodes of crack propagation and arrest occurred. The thermal transients were induced by coolant at −29 to 15°C. Pressure transients were as high as 94.4 MPa. The experimental objectives were attained. The inhibiting effects of warm prestressing were definitely demonstrated. Crack propagation was nearly pure cleavage, and arrest at 30 K above the onset of the Charpy upper-shelf was experienced in a positive K₁ gradient and with K₁ = 300 MPa√m. Fracture-mechanics analysis of brittle fracture based on small-specimen toughness measurements was reasonably accurate. Flaw evaluation by procedures of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code conservatively predicted vessel failure, which did not occur. No ductile tearing occurred after each crack arrest, although some stable tearing had been predicted on the basis of tearing resistance data.     

Fracture toughness prediction for highly irradiated RPV materials: From test results to RPV integrity assessment

New fracture toughness data are represented for highly irradiated RPV materials that were obtained by testing standard compact specimens with thickness of 12.5 mm and 25 mm and pre-cracked Charpy specimens machined from the RPV decommissioned. Two advanced engineering methods, the Master Curve and the Unified Curve, are applied for treatment of the test results. Application of the dependence of fracture toughness K_JC on test temperature T predicted with the Master Curve and the Unified Curve methods on the basis of surveillance specimens testing is discussed for RPV integrity assessment when the reference K_JC(T) curve is recalculated to the crack front length of the postulated flaw that is considerable larger than thickness of surveillance specimens. The prediction of the K_JC(T) curve transformation caused by neutron irradiation is considered.     

基于主曲线方法研究加载速率对RPV材料断裂韧性的影响

利用3组不同材料预制的裂纹夏比试样（PCCv)研究了不同温度和不同加载速率对反应堆压力容器材料断裂韧性的影响，对采集到的实验数据用ASTM E1921—97标淮，计算出材料度的断裂韧性值和参考温度(T0)。从稳态到瞬态加载条件下的参考温度幅值用主曲线方法确定。研究结果表明，T0依赖于加载速率，并随加载速率的增大而增加，同时当稳态加载时的T0较小时，瞬态加载时的T0增值（△T0)较大。     

Influence of loading rate on the crack resistance curve and the initiation temperature

This investigation is concerned with the influence of temperature and loading rate on elastic-plastic fracture in the range of ductile cleavage transition. Side-grooved three point bend specimens of a width of 200 mm and a thickness of 100 mm of two steels of the type 22 NiCrMo 37 of different toughness have been loaded with two deflection rates differing by a factor of 10⁵ in the range between initiation and upper shelf temperature. Due to dynamical loading the transition temperature of these steels has been increased by about 30 K. The slope of the crack resistance curve of the steel of lower toughness was increased considerable due to dynamical loading whereas the slope of the crack resistance curve of the steel of high toughness was increased only negligible. The results suggest that a conservative assessment of dynamically loaded components may be based on quasi-static crack resistance curves. However, in the case of dynamical loading stable crack growth can be supposed only at temperatures being considerable higher than for quasi-static loading.     

核电厂压力容器安全评估的新方法——主曲线简介

新的主曲线方法对反应堆压力容器完整性的评估在美国被称为革命性的改进。本文从保证核电安全的反应堆运行限值曲线出发,说明主曲线的由来、根据和标准;从对微观组织很敏感的脆性断裂特点,阐述主曲线的理论和它的统计规律性及其Weibull分布统计模型和实验方法;从断裂韧性数据库对该模型的拟合式,理解主曲线的含义、优点和应用以及主曲...     

金属材料裂纹冲击韧性评定方法研究

工程结构在复杂环境下长期服役后,裂纹的萌生和发展难以避免。对于需要承受爆炸与冲击的工程结构,需要对所用材料的裂纹冲击韧性进行评定,避免裂纹出现可能导致的冲击脆性断裂。基于Instron VHS高速材料试验机,开发了一套材料动态断裂试验装置,测量了4种具有高冲击功金属材料的裂纹冲击韧脆转变过程,并研究了影响金属材料裂纹冲击韧脆转变速率的因素。发现材料夏比冲击功并不能完全反应裂纹的冲击韧性,预制裂纹与否、试样约束方式和试样裂尖约束因子都会影响金属材料裂纹冲击试验中的韧脆转变速率。基于以上研究结果,提出了金属材料裂纹冲击韧性评定方法的基本思路。      

Moment modified compact tension specimen for measuring crack arrest toughness

Crack arrest toughness in reactor vessel steels in the transition and Charpy upper shelf energy temperature range are of particular interest to the nuclear industry to aid with the analysis of the phenomenon known as pressurized thermal shock (PTS). A test specimen and analysis technique have been developed to measure crack arrest toughness at temperatures from the transition region up to and beyond the Charpy upper shelf energy level. The moment modified compact tension (MMCT) specimen combines a thermal gradient with mechanical loadings to initiate a crack in brittle material below NDT and then have arrest take place in hot, ductile material. A finite element model was used to help design the specimen and fixturing geometry as well as calculate the arrest toughness. Tests have been conducted on ASME SA533 Grade B Class 1 steel plate with a variety of loadings confirming the veracity of the technique and developing valuable data. Crack arrest toughness has been measured from 0°F to 110°F (−18°C to 43°C). This work has been part of a research program performed by C-E, Windsor and funded by the Electric Power Research Institute.     

Mechanism based evaluation of materials behavior and reference curves

The safety assessment of nuclear pressure vessels and piping requires a quantitative estimation of defect growth by stable and unstable manner during service. This estimation is essential for determining whether the defect detected during inspection should be repaired or whether the size of the defect even after its expected growth is small enough to leave the integrity of the vessel unaffected.The most important stable defect growth mechanism is that of environmentally assisted cyclic crack growth. Recent results indicate that it is markedly affected by sulfur content and/or manganese sulfide morphology and distribution. This implies that an essential improvement in component safety has been gained by currently applied steelmaking practices, which result in extra low sulfur content, generally below 0.01 wt%, and in round shape and small size of inclusions, through, e.g., calcium treatment, hence considerably reducing the effect of environment on crack growth rate. This further implies that the ASME Section XI reference curves for environmentally accelerated cyclic crack growth are conservative for steels produced by current steelmaking practices.The ASME Section XI applies predominantly linear elastic fracture mechanics to assess the effects of cracks on the integrity of nuclear power plant components. Unstable linear elastic fracture often propagates by cleavage mechanism. The cleavage fracture process has recently been shown to be of statistical nature in both ferritic and bainitic steels. The carbide size distribution plays a dominant role in controlling the fracture toughness of these steels. A cleavage fracture model has been developed, based on carbide induced cleavage fracture in ferritic and bainitic steels, which can be used to estimate the expected value and probability limits of fracture toughness. This method has been utilized to evaluate the conservatism of the ASME reference fracture toughness curve. For this purpose a microstructural analysis was carried out for the HSST-02 plate material, with which a large amount of K_Ic data has previously been generated for reference curve purpose. The result of the statistical evaluation indicates that based on the 95% survival probability limit some parts of the ASME reference fracture toughness curve are unconservative.     

Influence of hydrogen content on impact toughness of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube alloy

Influence of hydrogen content on the impact toughness of Zr-2.5% Nb alloy was examined by carrying out instrumented drop weight tests in the temperature range of 25-250 °C using curved Charpy specimens fabricated from unirradiated pressure tubes of Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (IPHWR). Hydrogen content of the samples was between 10 and 170 ppm by weight (wppm). Sharp ductile-to-brittle-transition behaviour was demonstrated by hydrided materials. The temperature for the onset of transition increased with the increase in the hydrogen content of the specimens. The fracture surfaces of unhydrided specimen exhibited ductile fracture caused by micro void coalescence and tear ridges at lower temperatures and by fibrous fracture at intermediate and at higher temperatures. Except for the samples tested at the upper shelf energy levels, the fracture surfaces of all hydrided samples were suggestive of hydride assisted failure. In most cases the transverse cracks observed in the fracture path matched well with the hydride precipitate distribution and orientation.     

Fracture mechanics behavior of the T91 martensitic steel in contact with liquid lead-bismuth eutectic for application in an accelerator driven system

The fracture toughness of the T91 martensitic steel in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic has been measured at 300 °C in plane stress and plane strain conditions. The effect of achieving wetting at the crack tip prior starting mechanical testing is demonstrated to be the key factor for a correct evaluation of the potential effect of LBE on fracture toughness. In plane stress, one observes a serrated fracture mode associated with a reduction of fracture toughness between 20% and 30%. The toughness reduction is higher in plane strain where the cleavage fracture mode prevails. The difference between the two fracture modes is due to the higher plastic deformation level reached at final fracture in plane stress and to the higher crack growth rate in plane strain. These results will be useful for the design of future nuclear systems cooled by LBE planning to use martensitic steels as structural materials.     

Mechanical Properties of Ductile Cast Iron and Cast Steel for Intermediate Level Waste Transport Containers

Abstract

UK Nirex Ltd is developing Type B re-usable shielded transport containers (RSTCs) in a range of shielding thicknesses to transport intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) to a deep repository. The designs are of an essentially monolithic construction and rely principally on the plastic flow of their material to absorb the energies involved in impact events. Nirex has investigated the feasibility of manufacturing the RSTCs from ductile cast iron (DCI) or cast steel instead of from forgings, since this would bring advantages of reduced manufacturing time and costs. However, cast materials are perceived to lack toughness and ductility and it is necessary to show that sufficient fracture toughness can be obtained to preclude brittle failure modes, particularly at low temperatures. The mechanical testing carried out as part of that programme is described. It shows how the measured properties have been used to demonstrate avoidance of brittle fracture and provide input to computer modelling of the drop tests.     

Fracture assessment of a brittle RPV under cold loading

The oldest Swedish reactor is a boiling water reactor (BWR) with a vessel made of A302 Grade B with rather high Cu and Ni content. These elements have intensified the irradiation embrittlement in the beltline region so that RT_NDT of certain welds may exceed 100 °C at the end-of-life condition. A preliminary study of the fracture risk for the beltline region showed that the limiting loading case would be the cold over-pressurization of the reactor. The objective of this study was to develop a reliable methodology for fracture assessment of the aged reactor vessel under cold loading scenarios. The test program covered experiments on standard SEN(B) specimens and clad beams under uniaxial and biaxial loading. The test material was a reactor vessel steel prepared with a special heat treatment to simulate fracture toughness properties of the aged reactor. No significant effects of shallow crack and biaxial loading were observed on cleavage fracture toughness in different clad specimens. While the ASME K_Ic reference curve was shown to be overly conservative, the Master Curve methodology satisfactorily predicted the experimental outcomes of the test program. The Master Curve methodology indicated that a 20-mm deep surface crack was acceptable in the beltline region under a cold over-pressurization scenario. This value was three times greater than what a methodology based on the ASME K_Ic reference curve yielded.     

Some advances in fracture studies under the heavy-section steel technology program

Recent results are summarized from HSST studies in three major areas that relate to assessing nuclear reactor pressure vessel integrity under pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) conditions. These areas are irradiation effects on the fracture properties of stainless steel cladding, crack run-arrest behavior under non-isothermal conditions, and fracture behavior of a thick-wall vessel under combined thermal and pressure loadings.Since a layer of tough stainless steel weld overlay cladding on the interior of a pressure vessel could assist in limiting surface crack extension under PTS conditions, its resistance to radiation embrittlement was examined. A stainless steel overlay cladding, applied by a submerged arc, single-wire, oscillating-electrode method, was irradiated to 2 × 10²³ neutrons/m² (> 1 MeV) at 288°C. Yield strength increases up to 27% and a slight increase in ductility were observed. Charpy V-Notch data showed a ductile-to-brittle transition behavior caused by temperature-dependent failure of the 8-ferrite phase. The type 308 cladding, microstructurally typical of that in reactor pressure vessels, showed very little degradation in either upper-shelf energy or transition temperature due to irradiation.Crack-arrest behavior of A533 grade B class 1 steel was examined for temperatures extending above the onset of Charpy upper-shelf. Crack-arrest experiments that use wide-plate specimens have shown crack arrest occurring prior to transition to tearing or tensile instability. High values of crack-arrest toughness have been recorded (static values above 400 MPa that are well above the maximum value that safety assessment criteria assume such materials can exhibit.A validation experiment was performed by exposing an intentionally flawed HSST intermediate test vessel to combined pressure and thermal transients. The experiment addressed warm-prestressing phenomena, crack propagation from brittle to ductile regions, and crack stabilization in ductile regions. Test and analysis results are summarized.