'Local approach to fracture' application to predict irradiation effect on fracture toughness of pressure vessel steels

Possibility of employment of first-principle 'Local Approach to Fracture' to predict decrease in fracture toughness of pressure vessel steels after irradiation is represented in this work. It is shown that unlike conventional version of Local Approach, the offered one enables not only obtaining of temperature dependence of fracture toughness of irradiated steel by the results of testing of small-size surveillance specimens, but it is convenient method to analyse physical nature of change in KJC as a results of irradiation embrittlement. The latter has allowed indication of three main factors giving rise to decrease in KJC after irradiation as well as analysis of limits of validity of 'Muster curve'-approach