Current research on environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactor environments

The effect of dissolved oxygen level on fatigue life of austenitic stainles s steels is discussed and the results of a detailed study of the effect of the environment on the growth of cracks during fatigue initiation are prese nted. Initial test results are given for specimens irradiated in the Halden reactor. Impurities introduced by shielded metal are welding that may affe ct susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking are described. Results of ca lculations of residual stresses in core shroud weldments are summarized. Cr ack growth rates of high-nickel alloys under cyclic loading with R ratios f rom 0.2 to 0.95 in high-purity water that contains <5 and 300 ppb dissolved oxygen at 240, 289, and 320 degrees C, are summarized. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.