Stress-corrosion cracking properties of candidate fuel cladding alloys for the Canadian SCWR: a summary of literature data and recent test results

Cracking of fuel claddings is a serious concern when selecting candidate alloys for the development of a next-generation reactor. Whether the cracking is due to an environment-metal interaction such as stress-corrosion, or a pure metallurgical process such as localized plastic deformation along grain boundaries, the final impact is the same: cracking of the cladding can lead to fuel failure. In the course of a review of potential candidate alloys in preparation for further assessment under conditions relevant to the Canadian SCWR concept, relevant cracking studies reported for five short-listed alloys (namely 310S, 347H, 800H, 625 and 214) in the open literature were examined, and the key findings are provided in this paper. Discussions are also made of the recent SCC data from capsule tests and slow-strain rate tests (SSRT) in supercritical water. The data suggest that there is a threshold strain level below which SCC is not developed during SSRT tests. The practical implication of this finding is also discussed. (author)