EFFECT OF IRRADIATION TEMPERATURE ON IRRADIATION ASSISTED STRESS-CORROSION CRACKING OF MODEL AUSTENITIC STAINLESS-STEELS

Effects of irradiation temperature on the irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) were studied on a high-purity type 304 mode l stainless steel (HP) and its alloy doped with carbon (HP + C). Solut ion-annealed and cold-worked specimens of the alloys were irradiated a t 513 and 323 K up to 7-9 x 10(24) n/m(2) (E > 1 MeV) and then suscept ibilities to IASCC were examined by the slow strain rate testing (SSRT ) in high-purity 573 K water. Solution-annealed specimens of both allo ys, HP and HP + C, irradiated at 323 K showed a susceptibility to inte rgranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). The specimen of alloy HP + C failed at a shoulder portion with very high susceptibility to IGSC C. Addition of carbon affected the fracture morphology and increased r adiation hardening by irradiation at 513 K, while it seems to increase uniform elongation of specimens irradiated at 323 K. The 50% cold-wor ked specimens of both alloys showed no susceptibility to IASCC. (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.