Radiation-Induced Damage in Austenitic Structural Steels Used in Nuclear Reactors

Effect of Neutron Irradiation on the Mechanical Properties, Swelling and Creep of Austenitic Stainless Steels

“…The main compositional difference between 316 SS and 304 SS is the Mo addition in 316 SS, which imparts improved corrosion properties. The effect of various minor alloying or impurity elements, such as carbon, manganese, silicon and phosphorus, on properties such as swelling has been reviewed by Garner [ 3 ]. In these steels, manganese and silicon are present to aid in processing.…”

“…At low temperatures, these clusters can be vacancy stacking fault tetrahedra and small, faulted interstitial loops on the close-packed {111} planes (Frank loops). At high temperatures, the vacancy clusters tend to be cavities and the faulted Frank loops tend to unfault and form a coarser dislocation network as they become larger [ 3 , 12 ]. Other chemical changes can occur as a result of diffusional mass transport, resulting in precipitate formation [ 12 , 13 ] that also contributes to hardening.…”

“…Trans-granular fracture is a brittle or semi-brittle fracture mode that, as the name suggests, results in the production of intra-granular facets on fracture surfaces that are not grain boundaries. One view of channel fracture is that it is linked with localised deformation, by dislocation slip in particular [ 3 , 57 , 58 ]. However, the only link with localised deformation that has been noted is because of the coincidental observation of bands of sheared cavities in the same material exhibiting trans-granular fracture.…”

“…The channel deformation that has been well characterised and is common to Zr alloys [ 17 , 60 ] is believed to be responsible for what has been called channel fracture in irradiated 316 and 304 stainless steel [ 3 , 57 , 58 ]. Whereas there is still ductility in the presence of channeling in the case of Zr alloys, the so-called channel fracture in the irradiated steels is associated with more severe embrittlement and intra-granular cracking [ 3 ].…”

“…The channel deformation that has been well characterised and is common to Zr alloys [ 17 , 60 ] is believed to be responsible for what has been called channel fracture in irradiated 316 and 304 stainless steel [ 3 , 57 , 58 ]. Whereas there is still ductility in the presence of channeling in the case of Zr alloys, the so-called channel fracture in the irradiated steels is associated with more severe embrittlement and intra-granular cracking [ 3 ]. Analysis of AISI 316 stainless steel material exhibiting channel fracture [ 58 ], during mechanical testing after irradiation in EBR-II (built and operated by Argonne National Laboratory at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho Falls, ID, USA) at 380–500 °C, showed the presence of many twinned ε-martensite platelets, similar to platelets found in Inconel X-750 [ 61 ].…”