The application of small specimen technique to evaluate tensile properties of irradiated materials

It is very important to evaluate the radiation embrittlement characterizations of nuclear structural materials using small scale specimen to enhance the integrity of nuclear power plant. However, the reliability of the data from small specimen test should be obtained by adequate test method involving specimen and apparatus design ahead of its application. The specimen and apparatus design and analysis method which enhance reliability of small specimen test data according to the previous research results were listed in this report. The results of small specimen tension test for Korean- made reactor pressure vessel material conducted at room and high temperature, were listed and discussed in this report. As a result, the reliability of small specimen data was confirmed even though, the strengths and elongations of small specimens were little bit smaller than those of standard specimens. The resonable results were obtained from the tests conducted at room and high temperature for 3 kinds of un-irradiated and irradiated pressure vessel material and 1 heat of unirradiated and irradiated weld