Effect of proton irradiation on irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking in PWR

Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) involves the cracking and failure of materials under irradiation environment in nuclear power plant water environment. The major factors and processes governing an IASCC are suggested by others. The IASCC of the reactor core internals due to the material degradation and the water chemistry change has been reported in high stress stainless steel components, such as fuel elements (Boiling Water Reactors) in the 1960s, a control rod in the 1970s, and a baffle former bolt in recent years of light water reactors (Pressurized Water Reactors). Many irradiated stainless steels that are resistant to inergranular cracking in 288 .deg. C argon are susceptible to IG cracking in the simulated BWR environment at the same temperature. Under the circumstances, a lot works have been performed on IASCC in BWR. Recent efforts have been devoted to investigate an IASCC in a PWR, but the mechanism in a PWR is not fully understood yet as compared with that in a BWR owing to a lack of data from laboratories and fields. Therefore, it is strongly necessary to review and analyze recent researches of an IASCC in both BWR and PWR for establishing a proactive management technology for the IASCC of core internals in Korean PWRs. The objective of this research to find IASCC behavior of proton irradiated 316 stainless steels in a high-temperature water chemistry environment. The IASCC initiation susceptibility on 1, 3, 5 DPA proton irradiated 316 austenite stainless steel was evaluated in PWR environment. SCC area ratio on the fracture surface was similar regardless of irradiation level. Total crack length on the irradiated surface increases in order of specimen 1, 3, 5 DPA. The total crack length at the side surface is a better measure in evaluating IASCC initiation susceptibility for proton-irradiated samples