Fractographic examination of HT-9 and 9Cr-1Mo Charpy specimens irradiated in the AD-2 test

Fracture surface topologies have been examined using scanning electron microscopy for 20 selected half sized Charpy impact specimens of HT-9 and Modified 9Cr-1Mo in order to provide improved understanding of fracture toughness degradation as a result of irradiation for Path E alloys. The specimen matrix included unirradiated specimens and specimens irradiated in EBR-II in the AD-2 experiment. Also, hardness measurements have been made on selected irradiated Charpy specimens. The results of examinations indicate that irradiation hardening due to G-phase formation at 3900C is responsible for the large shift in ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) found in HT-9. Toughness degradation in HT-9 observed following higher temperature irradiations is attributed to precipitation at delta ferrite stringers. Reductions in toughness as a consequence of irradiation in Modified 9Cr-1Mo are attributed to in-reactor precipitation of (V,Nb)C and M23C6. It is shown that crack propagation rates for ductile and brittle failure modes can be measured, that they differ by over an order of magnitude and that unexpected multiple shifts in fracture mode from ductile to brittle failure can be attributed to the effect of delta ferrite stringers on crack propagation rates