Discussion of the Possible Dose-Rate Effect in Irradiation of Pressure Vessel Steel.

Abstract

A 'dose-rate effect' for low alloy steel is based on the premise that radiation damage will be greater for a given fluence of neutrons when irradiation takes place at a low flux level over a long time than for irradiation for a short time at a high flux level. These are the conditions under which accelerated irradiations are performed for short times to establish anticipated lifetime mechanical property changes in reactor vessel components that will be under irradiation for long times at low flux levels. The available theoretical and experimental evidence related to the dose-rate effect in low alloy steel has been reviewed and is discussed. The conclusion reached is that trends in steel hardening and embrittlement by neutron irradiation are not noticeably influenced by the rate of irradiation when the rates (fluxes) are between 10 to the 10th power and 10 to the fourteenth power n/sq cm per sec, and the fluence received is <1x 10 to the twentieth power n/sq cm >1 MeV. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1973
Accession Number
AD0766053

Entities

People

  • C. Z. Serpan Jr.

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alloys
  • Dose Rate
  • Embrittlement
  • Hardening
  • Low Alloy Steels
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Neutron Bombardment
  • Physical Properties
  • Pressure Vessels
  • Radiation
  • Radiation Effects
  • Steel

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.