Heavy-section steel irradiation program on irradiation effects in light-water reactor pressure vessel materials

The safety of commercial light-water nuclear plants is highly dependent on the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). In the absence of radiation damage to the RPV, fracture of the vessel is difficult to postulate. Exposure to high energy neutrons can result in embrittlement of radiation-sensitive RPV materials. The Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), is assessing the effects of neutron irradiation on RPV material behavior, especially fracture toughness. The results of these and other studies are used by the USNRC in the evaluation of RPV integrity and regulation of overall nuclear plant safety. In assessing the effects of irradiation, prototypic RPV materials are characterized in the unirradiated condition and exposed to radiation under varying conditions. Mechanical property tests are conducted to provide data which can be used in the development of guidelines for structural integrity evaluations, while metallurgical examinations and mechanistic modeling are performed to improve understanding of the mechanisms responsible for embrittlement. The results of these investigations, in conjunction with results from commercial reactor surveillance programs, are used to develop a methodology for the prediction of radiation effects on RPV materials. This irradiation-induced degradation of the materials can be mitigated by thermal annealing, i.e., heating the RPV to a temperature above that of normal operation. Thus, thermal annealing and evaluation of reirradiation behavior are major tasks of the HSSI Program. This paper describes the HSSI Program activities by summarizing some past and recent results, as well as current and planned studies.