Abstract
Neutron irradiation embrittlement could limit the service life of some of the reactor-pressure vessels in existing commercial nuclear-power plants. Improved understanding the of the underlying causes of embrittlement has provided regulators and power-plant operators better estimates of vessel-operating margins. This article presents an overview of embrittlement, emphasizing the status of mechanistic understanding and models, and their role in increasing the reliability of vessel-integrity assessments. Finally, a number of outstanding issues and significant opportunities, including a new fracture-toughness master-curve method, are briefly described.
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For more information, contact G.R. Odette, University of California at Santa Barbara, Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering, Santa Barbara, CA 93106; (805) 893-3525; fax (805) 893-8651; e-mail odette@engineering.ucsb.edu.
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Odette, G.R., Lucas, G.E. Embrittlement of nuclear reactor pressure vessels. JOM 53, 18–22 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-001-0081-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-001-0081-0