Mechanical characterization of superalloys for space reactors

The purpose of this work is the choice of materials usable between 600 and 9000C for nuclear space reactor structures. The main criterion of selection for these materials is their good creep behaviour. Consequently, macroscopic theories of creep and several extrapolation methods were described. Superalloys seem the best materials for the studied range of temperatures. Five of them, base nickel, ones unusual in nuclear industry were selected for their good mechanical properties. Three of them are industrial alloys: the first, HAYNES 230 is a recent one, HASTELLOY S and X are more standard materials. The last two, HASTELLOY XR and PYRAD 38 D are issued from special fabrications. Creep tests metallographic investigations, hardness and tensile tests were performed. A contraction of samples was observed during some creep tests under a low stress, 20MPa at 8000C, for HAYNES 230 and HASTELLOY X. This could be due to a structural evolution of these materials connected to a decrease of the cristalline parameter. In addition, correlations were observed between certain characteristics determined from slow tensile tests and short duration creep tests. These correlations present a large interest because, at the present time, creep tests cannot be executed on irradiated materials in our laboratories. Consequently creep behaviour of irradiated materials seem may be deduced. Further studies are needed to explain and confirm the behaviour of the most interesting materials under low stresses: HAYNES 230 and HASTELLOY XR to anticipate their behaviour in working conditions