Radiation-Induced Phase Formation in Steels of VVER Reactor Pressure Vessels Containing ~0.3–1.3 wt % Nickel

• Published in: Physics of metals and metallography Vol. 120; no. 5; pp. 465 - 470
• Main Authors: Kuleshova, E. A., Frolov, A. S., Zhuchkov, G. M., Fedotov, I. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.05.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Control stability; Density; Diffusion; Embrittlement; Fast neutrons; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Neutron irradiation; Nickel; Nuclear energy; Nuclear reactors; Phase Transformations; Phases; Pressure vessels; Radiation; Radiation damage; Radiation effects; Radiation hardening; Service life; Structural members; Structure; Thermal stability; Vessels; radiation embrittlement; radiation-induced precipitates; radiation hardening; reactor vessel; APT; TEM
• ISSN: 0031-918X; 1555-6190
• DOI: 10.1134/S0031918X19050107

The radiation-induced structural elements in the materials of water-moderated water-cooled reactor pressure vessels have been studied by TEM and atomic probe tomography at the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute. The effect of Ni concentration in the range from 0.34 to 1.28 wt % on the formation of phases under fast neutron irradiation has been analyzed. The volume density of radiation-induced phases has been shown to depend on the Ni concentration in steel; the phase sizes and compositions remain almost the same. The volume density of these precipitations affects the radiation hardening, one of the radiation embrittlement mechanisms. The quantitative parameters of radiation-induced phases have been shown to control the service life growth, the enhancement of the thermal stability, and the melting technology of reactor vessel steels bearing nickel in the 0.3–0.7 wt % range.