Manufacturing of ultra-large diameter 20 MnMoNi 5 5 steel forgings for reactor pressure vessels and their properties

As the structural material for RPV typical of increased dimensions, as set of ultra-large diameter steel forgings for a PHWR RPV is presented as outlined below. (1) Material designation: 20 MnMoNi 5 5 (similar to SA508, Cl.3) (2) Size of the forgings: flanges, 8.440 mm OD, a weight of 238 tons for shell flange; shells and torus, 7,920 mm OD, with large height, cover dome, 6,800 mm OD in chord and 460 mm thick; blank before formed to dome is ca. 8,000 mm OD. (3) Chemical composition: particular effort was made for minimizing the tramp elements as P, S, As, Sn, Sb, Cu. (4) Manufacturing, key points: steel making - combined refining and degassing in ladle; ingot making - largest size ingots, including 570 ton and 500 ton ingots; forging - special ''outside-the-press'' forging and forming techniques; heat treatment - prevention of H2 flaking in normalizing and tempering and handling of the extra-large forgings at water quenching. (5) Metallurgical properties: sufficiently uniform carbon distributions in the forgings; a lowest possible content of hydrogen, non-metallic inclusions and oxygen. Mechanical properties: uniformity in tensile and toughness properties; flaws - only limited number of spots of UT indications under 2 mm EFG (EFS). (orig.)