Analysis of a bending test on a full-scale PWR hot leg elbow containing a surface crack

Effect of 475°C embrittlement on the mechanical properties of duplex stainless steel

“…Le Delliou et al [29] had conducted bending tests in an elbow of the main primary circuit of a pressurized water reactor, which contained a semi-elliptical circumferential notch as well as casting defects located on the flanks and had shown that the notch did not initiate even at the maximum applied bending moment.…”

“…However, this grade of steel embrittles when exposed in the temperature range of 280-500 • C limiting its application to temperatures below 280 • C. This phenomenon is termed 475 • C embrittlement as the rate of embrittlement is highest at 475 • C [13][14][15]. The embrittlement changes the tensile [16][17][18][19][20][21][22], fracture [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] and fatigue [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]23,48,49] behaviour of this steel.…”