R and D Developments. Research Programs on Irradiation Embrittlement of Reactor Vessel Steels

Irradiation embrittlement of pressure vessel steels is a degradation mechanism time dependent that can lead to operational restrictions with adverse effects in the efficiency and life of a plant. For the last year, several research programs have been devoted to study thye evaluation of neutronic radiation effect on mechanical properties of pressure vessel steels. However, at the present, there is a growing interest on the development of new methodologies to optimize the surveillance program information, and the understanding of the irradiation damage mechanism. This paper give an overview of international research programs, and on the R+D activities carried out by the Structural Materials Project on irradiation embrittlement on pressure vessel steels. (Author)