Effect of thermo-mechanical treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an ODS ferritic steel

The Fe-14Cr-2W-0.3Ti-0.3Y₂O₃ oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) reduced activation ferritic (RAF) steel was fabricated by mechanical alloying of a pre-alloyed, gas atomised powder with yttria nano-particles, followed by hot isostatic pressing and thermo-mechanical treatments (TMTs). Two kinds of TMT were applied: (i) hot pressing, or (ii) hot rolling, both followed by annealing in vacuum at 850 °C.The use of a thermo-mechanical treatment was found to yield strong improvement in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the ODS RAF steel. In particular, hot pressing leads to microstructure refinement, equiaxed grains without texture, and an improvement in Charpy impact properties, especially in terms of the upper shelf energy (about 4.5 J). Hot rolling leads to elongated grains in the rolling direction, with a grain size ratio of 6:1, higher tensile strength and reasonable ductility up to 750 °C, and better Charpy impact properties, especially in terms of the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (about 55 °C).     

Influence of hot rolling and high speed hydrostatic extrusion on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an ODS RAF steel

An argon gas atomized, pre-alloyed Fe-14Cr-2W-0.3Ti (wt.%) reduced activation ferritic (RAF) steel powder was mechanically alloyed with 0.3wt.% Y₂O₃ nano-particles in an attritor ball mill and consolidated by hot isostatic pressing at 1150 °C under a pressure of 200 MPa for 3 h. In the aim to improve its mechanical properties the ODS steel was then submitted to a thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT): hot rolling (HR) at 850 °C or high speed hydrostatic extrusion (HSHE) at 900 °C, followed by heat treatment (HT).Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the ODS alloys after TMT and heat treatment revealed the presence of elongated grains in the longitudinal direction, with an average width of 8 μm and an average length of 75 μm, and equiaxed grains, a few microns in diameter, in the transverse direction. Two populations of oxide particles were observed by TEM: large Ti-Al-O particles, up to 250 nm in diameter, usually located at the grain boundaries and small Y-Ti-O nanoclusters, about 2.5 nm in diameter, uniformly distributed in the matrix. Charpy impact tests revealed that the HSHE material exhibits a larger upper shelf energy (5.8 J) than the HR material (2.9 J). The ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of both alloys is relatively high, in the range of 55-72 °C. Tensile mechanical properties of both ODS alloys were found satisfactory over the full range of investigated temperatures (23-750 °C). The HSHE material exhibits better tensile strength and ductility than the HR material. These results indicate that HSHE can be considered as a promising TMT method for improving the mechanical properties of ODS RAF steels.     

A polycrystalline modeling of the mechanical behavior of neutron irradiated zirconium alloys

Zirconium alloys used as fuel cladding tubes in the nuclear industry undergo important changes after neutron irradiation in the microstructure as well as in the mechanical properties. However, the effects of the specific post-irradiation deformation mechanisms on the mechanical behavior are not clearly understood and modeled. Based on experimental results it is discussed that the kinematic strain hardening is increased by the plastic strain localization inside the dislocation channels as well as the only basal slip activation observed for specific mechanical tests. From this analysis, the first polycrystalline model is developed for irradiated zirconium alloys, taking into account the irradiation induced hardening, the intra-granular softening as well as the intra-granular kinematic strain hardening due to the plastic strain localization inside the channels. This physically based model reproduces the mechanical behavior in agreement with the slip systems observed. In addition, this model reproduces the Bauschinger effect observed during low cycle fatigue as well as the cyclic strain softening.     

Effect of environment, mechanical conditions, and materials characteristics on AE behavior during corrosion fatigue processes of an austenitic stainless steel

Acoustic emission (AE) behavior during corrosion fatigue (CF) processes has been studied in a commercial grade 304 austenitic stainless steel with special attention to the effect of environment, mechanical conditions, and materials characteristics. Precracked compact tension specimens were tested under cyclic tension-tension load, polarized potentiostatically in 1N H₂SO₄ + 0.5M HaCl or 1N H₂SO₄ solutions at room temperature. Valuable AE signals discriminated from environmental and mechanical noises by source location were monitored at the loading phase near the maximum load. The experimental results showed that the AE activity observed in corrosive environments increased significantly with the acceleration of crack growth rates, compared with that observed in air (inert environment). Detailed SEM observations found cleavage-like cracking, intergranular-like cracking, separations, etc. on the crack surfaces. The AE sources which provided the high AE activity during CF crack growth were shown to be such microcracking processes as cleavage-like cracking, intergranular-like cracking, and separations caused by the cooperation of environments (intergranular corrosion or hydrogen), mechanical conditions (triaxial stress), and materials characteristics (non-metallic inclusions or carbides precipitated along grain boundaries by sensitization). The effect of these three factors on the AE behavior and cracking mechanisms is discussed in detail.     

Statistical approach and benchmarking for modeling of multi-dimensional behavior in TRISO-coated fuel particles

The fundamental design for a gas-cooled reactor relies on the behavior of the coated particle fuel. The coating layers, termed the TRISO coating, act as a mini-pressure vessel that retains fission products. Results of US irradiation experiments show that many more fuel particles have failed than can be attributed to one-dimensional pressure vessel failures alone. Post-irradiation examinations indicate that multi-dimensional effects, such as the presence of irradiation-induced shrinkage cracks in the inner pyrolytic carbon layer, contribute to these failures. To address these effects, the methods of prior one-dimensional models are expanded to capture the stress intensification associated with multi-dimensional behavior. An approximation of the stress levels enables the treatment of statistical variations in numerous design parameters and Monte Carlo sampling over a large number of particles. The approach is shown to make reasonable predictions when used to calculate failure probabilities for irradiation experiments of the New Production - Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Program.     

Nanoscale characterization and formation mechanism of nanoclusters in an ODS steel elaborated by reactive-inspired ball-milling and annealing

Reactive-inspired ball-milling is proposed as a new production route for oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels. So a Fe-14Cr-2W-1Ti-0.8Y-0.2O (wt.%) ODS steel is elaborated by ball-milling of FeCrWTi and YFe₃ plus Fe₂O₃ powders instead of Y₂O₃ and then by annealing at 800 °C for 5 min. Characterizations by Electron Probe MicroAnalysis and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) are performed after milling and after annealing. For the very first time, nanoclusters are observed after ball-milling by APT. Those nanoclusters are enriched in titanium, yttrium and oxygen and their mean radius is 0.8 nm. With annealing, the mean radius rises up to 1.4 nm and the number density as well as the enrichment factor in O, Ti and Y increase. So a new formation mechanism of nanoclusters is observed in those conditions of synthesis: ball-milling initiates the nanoclusters nucleation and during annealing, nucleation continues, accompanied by a slight growth of nanoclusters. Thus reactive-inspired ball-milling appears as a promising route for synthesizing ODS steels with a fine and dense dispersion of oxides.     

Atom probe characterization of nano-scaled features in irradiated ODS Eurofer steel

Our previous investigations of unirradiated ODS Eurofer by tomographic atom probe (TAP) revealed numerous nano-scaled features (nanoclusters) enriched in vanadium, yttrium and oxygen. In this work the effect of neutron irradiation on nanostructure behaviour of ODS Eurofer (9%-CrWVTa) was investigated. The irradiation was performed in the research reactor BOR-60 (Dimitrovgrad, Russia) where materials were irradiated at 330 °С to 32 dpa. TAP studies were performed on the needles prepared from parts of broken Charpy specimens. For all specimens except one, which was tested at 500 °C, the Charpy tests were performed at temperatures not exceeding the irradiation temperature. A high number density 2-4 × 10²⁴ m⁻³ of ultra fine 1-3 nm diameter nanoclusters enriched in yttrium, oxygen, manganese and chromium was observed in the irradiated state. The composition of detected clusters differs from that for unirradiated ODS Eurofer. It was observed in this work that after neutron irradiation vanadium atoms had left the clusters, moving from the core into solid solution. The concentrations of yttrium and oxygen in the matrix, as it was detected, increase several times under irradiation. In the samples tested at 500 °C both the number density of clusters and the yttrium concentration in the matrix decrease by a factor of two.     

Development and characterisation of a new ODS ferritic steel for fusion reactor application

This paper describes the microstructure, tensile properties and Charpy impact resistance of a reduced activation oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel Fe-14Cr-2W-0.3Ti-0.3Y₂O₃ produced by mechanical alloying of a pre-alloyed, gas atomised steel powder with Y₂O₃ particles, compaction by hot extrusion at 1100 °C, hot rolling at 700 °C and heat treatment at 1050 °C for 1 h. At room temperature the material exhibits a high ultimate tensile strength of about 1420 MPa and high yield strength of about 1340 MPa in the transverse direction. In the longitudinal direction the values are about 10% lower, due to the anisotropy of the microstructure (elongated grains in the rolling direction). At 750 °C the material still exhibits relatively high yield strengths of about 325 MPa and 305 MPa in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. The material exhibits reasonable uniform and total elongation values over the temperature range 23-750 °C, in both transverse and longitudinal directions. The material exhibits weak Charpy impact properties in the transverse direction. Charpy impact properties are slightly better in the longitudinal direction, with upper shelf energy of about 4.2 J and a ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of about 8.8 °C.     

A simple approach for failure bending moments of straight pipes

Based on more than 100 experimental results a simple approach for calculating the failure bending moment of a straight pipe is given. Similar to limit load theory a constant stress distribution is assumed over the cross section, whereas stress intensity is expressed by a function of pipe geometry and work-hardening capability of the material.     

The modeling of graphite oxidation behavior for HTGR fuel coolant channels under normal operating conditions

The oxidation of graphite in normal operating conditions is a very important factor when evaluating the service time of the graphite structural material in a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). This paper deals with the modeling of graphite oxidation by steam in the helium channel of a fuel block. The FEM software COMSOL is used: the turbulent flow of the coolant is simulated by using the k-? model and the chemical reaction is expressed by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation. Calculations were carried out for steam pressures around 1 Pa and for different temperature distributions. The influence of burn-off and the diffusion in graphite porosities were both considered in the oxidation. Results show that oxidation mainly occurred on the graphite surface at the bottom of the core because of the higher temperature. The thickness of graphite with a burn-off higher than 8% was about 1 mm at the core base. Less than 15% of steam was consumed in the coolant channel of the fuel assemblies. Calculations also showed that the mean gasification rate in one channel for the second service time was larger than the first service time.     

Transmission electron microscopy of oxide development on 9Cr ODS steel in supercritical water

Oxide layers formed on 9Cr oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel alloys during exposure to 600 °C supercritical water for 2- and 4-weeks were examined using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. A focused ion beam insitu lift-out technique was used to produce site-specific samples with electron transparent areas up to 8 μm by 10 μm. The oxide layers consist of several sub-layers: an Fe-rich outer oxide, a Cr-rich inner oxide, and a diffusion layer, extending beyond the oxide front into the metal. An evolution of the oxide layer structure is seen between 2 and 4 weeks, resulting in the development of a band of Cr₂O₃ at the diffusion layer/metal interface from the previously existing continuous mixture of FeCr₂O₄ ‘fingers’ and bcc metal. It is believed that transport in this Cr₂O₃ layer at the diffusion layer/metal interface becomes the rate-limiting step for oxide advancement, since this change in oxide structure also corresponds to a decrease in corrosion rate.     

A fuzzy modeling approach to the identification of transients in nuclear components

In this paper, a fuzzy-logic modeling approach is adopted for the identification of the causes of transients in a component of a nuclear power plant. The if–then rules, representing the underlying processes are inferred from the available input–output signal data. The method is applied to the early classification of the causes of transients in a steam generator of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Based on the measured signals, the forcing function responsible for the transient is readily classified and its amplitude is estimated. The case of two concurrent causes of transients is also considered.     

A simple probabilistic approach to evaluate radioiodine behavior at severe accidents: Application to PHEBUS test FPT1

A simple probabilistic approach is proposed to quantify the relative importance of selected processes and mechanisms which govern the behavior of radioiodine under conditions pertaining to a postulated severe accident. In principle, these are sensitivity studies of a dedicated, small event tree which describes the iodine behavior at an accident. The emphasis is put on the processes taking place in containment at a late phase of the accident. Here, volatile species of iodine (volatile iodine: I₂ and various organic iodides) could form from the species which were transported from RCS to containment originally as non-volatile. The relative importance of the processes leading to volatile iodine formation in containment is, for a long time, a subject of some dispute among the international research communities. The proposed probabilistic insight could be one of the many ways to address these complicated questions. In this work, the probabilistic approach was tested against the results of the well-documented PHEBUS FPT1 experiment. The small containment iodine event tree was processed by the EVNTRE code with a direct call from within the tree to the detailed iodine chemistry program calculating the speciation of iodine in containment. The French program IODE, as a part of the ASTEC suite of codes, has been used for this purpose. The results of this sensitivity study of PHEBUS FPT1 are promising as for the possibility to use such (or similar) probabilistic method for thorough analyses of uncertainties linked with the iodine behavior in containment at an accident. Similar approach could be used even for the iodine behavior modeling in whole-plant PRA analyses.     

Thermal-hydraulic modeling for the analysis of LMFBR disrupted core behavior

This paper presents the analytical models of thermal-hydraulic phenomena of major interest in the analysis of LMFBR hypothetical core disruptive accidents. These models have been incorporated in LEVITATE [1], a code for the analysis of fuel and cladding dynamics under loss of Flow (LOF) conditions. LEVITATE has recently become part of the SAS4A [2] code system, replacing the older, less sophisticated SLUMPY [3] model.The influence of different thermal-hydraulic models on fuel motion is illustrated by a comparison between the results calculated by LEVITATE, the data from the L7 and L6 TREAT experiments [4] and the results calculated by SLUMPY. The results calculated by LEVITATE are in good agreement with the experimentally observed early fuel dispersal.     

Effect of V and Nb on precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of high Cr steel

Employment of high Cr steel as a main structural material is considered as a way to achieve economical competitiveness of fast breeder reactors. V and Nb are believed to improve the high temperature strength of high Cr steels by precipitating as carbides and/or nitrides, namely fine MX particles. However, the long term efficiency and stability of such precipitation strengthening mechanisms provided by the fine MX particles have not been clarified yet. A series of trial products controlling V and Nb contents is produced and mechanical tests are conducted to investigate the effect of these elements on the mechanical properties and the long term stability of the MX strengthening mechanism. Before and after a long term aging process, metallurgical examinations and quantitative analyses are conducted to investigate the effect of these elements on microstructure evolutions. Based on these results, the long term efficiency and stability of the strengthening mechanisms provided by the fine MX particles are discussed. Higher strength and lower ductility are obtained with the increases of V and Nb contents, although the influence of Nb content tends to be saturated at about 0.01 mass%. MX does not grow and any new precipitates cannot be observed after aging at 873 K for 6000 h. Therefore, it is expected that MX is stable after aging at 823 K for approximately 167,000 h based on Larson-Miller parameter.     

Implantation of nitrogen ions into the 12Kh18N10T steel under the conditions of mechanical loading

Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 68, No. 3, pp. 210–211, March, 1990.     

The change in the hardness of LCAC, TZM, and ODS molybdenum in the post-irradiated and annealed conditions

Hardness measurements were performed on wrought Low Carbon Arc Cast (LCAC), TZM, and Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) molybdenum in the post-irradiated and post-irradiated + annealed condition to determine the recovery kinetics. Irradiations performed in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at nominally 300 °C and 600 °C to neutron fluence levels that range from 10.5 to 246 × 10²⁴ n/m² (E > 0.1 MeV) resulted in relatively large increases in hardness (77-109%), while small increases in hardness (<18%) were observed for irradiations at 870-1100 °C. The hardness recovery for ODS and LCAC irradiated at 300 °C and 600 °C were shown to be complete at 980 °C and ≈ 1100-1250 °C, respectively. Isothermal annealing at 700 °C was used to determine the activation energy for recovery of LCAC and ODS (3.70-4.88 eV ± 0.28-0.77 eV), which is comparable to values reported in the literature for molybdenum vacancy self-diffusion. This suggests that recovery of LCAC and ODS is controlled by the solid-state diffusion of vacancies in the bulk, and that the finer grain size and particle size ODS does not affect this mechanism. TZM exhibited slower recovery kinetics, which can be explained by the solute atoms (titanium and zirconium) inhibiting vacancy diffusion.