Heavy steel forgings for Pressurised Water Reactor program

With the successful completion of this project, India has now acquired the technological know-how and capability to manufacture forgings of thicknesses 350 mm to 750 mm essential to manufacturing of reactor pressure vessel for pressurized water reactor program. Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) program requires high purity special grade low alloy steel forgings of relatively large size to manufacture Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV), a vital and critical component for the plant. The challenging aspects of RPV forging are relatively high thicknesses, maintaining desired chemistry and microstructure coupled with demand for high mechanical properties over entire thickness, good weldability and freedom from hydrogen induced microcracks. This involves special technological know-how that needs to be developed through R and D