Neutron irradiation embrittlement of light water reactor pressure vessel steels

This paper reviews the results of an experimental and theoretical program to develop physically based, predictive models of light water reactor pressure vessel steel embrittlement that the authors have conducted over the past decade. Embrittlement was characterized using subsized tensile specimen and microhardness techniques. Irradiation-induced microstructure changes have been characterized by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and atom probe/field ion microscopy techniques. Simple diffusion controlled growth models have been applied to irradiation enhanced precipitation with good success