A micromechanical analysis of swelling-induced embrittlement in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels

A micromechanical analysis of swelling-induced embrittlement in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels

Swelling is commonly observed in austenitic stainless steels irradiated at high doses and high temperatures, such as fuel claddings in Fast-Breeder Reactors (FBR), as a consequence of the formation of irradiation-induced nanovoids. Macroscopic embrittlement has been reported above a critical swellin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nuclear materials Vol. 565; p. 153732
Main Authors: Hure, J., Courcelle, A., Turque, I.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-07-2022
Elsevier BV
Elsevier
Subjects:
Austenitic stainless steels
Austenitic steels
Breeder reactors
Chemical Sciences
Coalescence
Constitutive equations
Constitutive relationships
Corrosion effects
Deformation effects
Embrittlement
Finite element method
Fracture mechanics
Fuels
Heterogeneity
High temperature
Irradiation
Material chemistry
Microchemistry
Neutron irradiation
Phase transitions
Porous materials
Reactors
Spatial heterogeneity
Stainless steel
Swelling
Tensile properties
Tensile test
Theoretical analysis
Irradiation
Swelling
Austenitic steels
Tensile test
Porous materials
Embrittlement
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Summary:Swelling is commonly observed in austenitic stainless steels irradiated at high doses and high temperatures, such as fuel claddings in Fast-Breeder Reactors (FBR), as a consequence of the formation of irradiation-induced nanovoids. Macroscopic embrittlement has been reported above a critical swelling level. Several physical explanations have been proposed such as void-related fracture mechanisms and phase transformation associated with local changes of microchemistry. In addition, structural effects can affect the critical swelling level, tentatively explained by local corrosion, swelling gradient and bending effects. In order to address these phenomena, an extended experimental database is first presented, based on fuel pins irradiated in the Phénix fast reactor, showing the evolution of conventional tensile properties with swelling. In the present database, 15-15Ti specimens were irradiated from 30 to 120 dpa, with irradiation temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 625 °C and a maximum swelling of 11%. Other data published in scientific literature were also included in the analysis to extend the swelling range up to 30%. SEM and TEM analysis are also summarized to highlight specific embrittlement mechanisms related to the presence of voids. Theoretical analysis and finite element simulations are then performed based on porous materials constitutive equations in order to rationalize the experimental observations. Analytical and numerical results show that swelling-induced embrittlement can be understood from a mechanical perspective as a transition from void growth to void coalescence deformation mode. The effect of the spatial heterogeneity of void distribution is quantified and shown to be a key parameter. Structural effects coming from tests performed on ring and axial tensile specimens and from the presence of a swelling gradient in cladding thickness are also quantified. Numerical results are compared to experimental data, and a good agreement is observed.
ISSN:0022-3115
1873-4820
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153732