Fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors

Fatigue and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) for low-alloy steel used in piping and in steam generator and reactor pressure vessels have been investigated. Fatigue data were obtained on medium-sulfur-content A533-Gr B and A106-Gr B steels in high-purity (HP) deoxygenated water, in simulated pressurized water reactor water, and in air. Analytical studies focused on the behavior of carbon steels in boiling water reactor (BWR) environments. Crack-growth rates of composite fracture-mechanics specimens of A533-Gr B/Inconel-182/Inconel-600 (plated with nickel) and homogeneous specimens of A533-Gr B steel were determined under small-amplitude cyclic loading in HP water with ∼300 pbb dissolved oxygen. Radiation-induced segregation and irradiation-assisted SCC of Type 304 SS after accumulation of relatively high fluence also have been investigated. Microchemical and microstructural changes in HP and commercial-purity Type 304 SS specimens from control-blade absorber tubes used in two operating BWRs were studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and slow-strain-rate tensile tests were conducted on tubular specimens in air and in simulated BWR water at 289 degrees C