FKS irradiation experiments in testing nuclear power reactor Kahl (VAK)

In the 'Forschungsvorhaben Komponentensicherheit' (FKS, research project component safety) emphasis is laid on investigating - at what lower bound of ductility safe operation of a vessel may still be guaranteed - how results from tests of small specimens may be applied to predicting the behavior of components - what criteria describe ductile behavior and if the behavior of low-ductility materials whose ductility level was achieved by means of metallurgical and thermal-mechanical processes represents the behavior of radiation-embittled materials. With the aid of the FKS irradiation experiments the goal of determining fracture-mechanical parameters of radiation-embrittled materials and finding out the possible limits for radiation embrittlement, even for extreme initial states, is pursued. (orig.)