About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Radiation Effects in Solid-State Materials: An SMD Symposium Honoring William J Weber
|
| Presentation Title |
Hardening and defect evolution in irradiated RPV steels |
| Author(s) |
Assel Aitkaliyeva, Brandon Bohanon, Ashley Foster, Salil Bavdekar, Ghatu Subhash, Yongfeng Zhang, Douglas Spearot |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Assel Aitkaliyeva |
| Abstract Scope |
Neutron irradiation induced hardening and embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels is a multi-dimensional problem that requires predictive physics-based models, improved understanding of precipitate nucleation and growth, and clear relationships between irradiation-induced microstructure and hardening, especially at high fluences. Although model alloys are essential for isolating the role of specific solutes and defect populations, it remains unclear how well their irradiation response represents the behavior of more compositionally complex RPV steels. In this contribution, we examine two model RPV steel alloys, F1W and BV, irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor. We use nanoindentation to quantify irradiation-induced hardening and transmission electron microscopy to examine the corresponding dislocation structures and precipitate formation. We compare the hardening response with published data from irradiated commercial RPV steels to assess the representativeness of model alloys and ATR irradiation conditions for commercial LWR service conditions, and discuss the absence of Mn-Ni-Si-rich precipitates in model alloys. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Mechanical Properties, |