Empirical correlation between mechanical and physical parameters of irradiated pressure vessel steels

Neutron irradiation embrittlement of nuclear reactor pressure vessel (PV) steels is one of the best known ageing factors of nuclear power plants. If the safety limits set by the regulators for the PV steel are not satisfied any more, and other measures are too expensive for the economics of the plant, this embrittlement could lead to the closure of the plant. Despite this, the fundamental mechanisms of neutron embrittlement are not yet fully understood, and usually only empirical mathematical models exist to asses neutron fluence effects on embrittlement, as given by the Charpy test for example. In this report, results of a systematic study of a French forging (1.2 MD 07 B), irradiated to several fluences will be reported. Mechanical property measurements (Charpy tensile and Vickers microhardness), and physical property measurements (small angle neutron scattering - SANS), have been done on specimens having the same irradiation or irradiation-annealing-reirradiation treatment histories. Empirical correlations have been established between the temperature shift and the decrease in the upper shelf energy as measured on Charpy specimens and tensile stresses and hardness increases on the one hand, and the size of the copper-rich precipitates formed by the irradiation on the other hand. The effect of copper (as an impurity element) in enhancing the degradation of mechanical properties has been demonstrated; the SANS measurements have shown that the size and amount of precipitates are important. The correlations represent the first step in an effort to develop a description of neutron irradiation induced embrittlement which is based on physical models. (author) 6 figs., 27 refs