Load-carrying capacity and crack resistance of a cladding by the Sigma-oscillating wire technique

If cracks are postulated in the ferritic base material beneath the austenit ic cladding, their initiation and propagation under hypothetical loading ca ses is influenced by the load carrying capacity of the cladding. The toughn ess of the KKS-RPV cladding was assessed by means of elastic-plastic fractu re mechanics methods. Sub-sized tensile and bend specimens were fabricated by reconstitution technique from broken halves of standard ISO-V Charpy spe cimens, representing crack extension in radial and circumferential directio n. They were tested and evaluated and further analyzed with the Gurson mode l. For temperatures relevant to the loss of coolant and upset conditions an alyzed, a sufficient toughness of the cladding in terms of J and CTOD resis tance curves could be shown. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights rese rved.