Corrosion Fatigue of Pressure Vessel Steels in PWR Environments—Influence of Steel Sulfur Content

Abstract

Large effects of simulated light water reactor environments at 288 C on fatigue crack growth in low alloy pressure vessel steels are observed only when specific mechanical, metallurgical, and electrochemical conditions are satisfied simultaneously. In this paper, the relative importance of three key variables—steel Impurity content, water chemistry, and flow rate—and their interaction with loading rate or strain rate are examined. In particular, the results of a systematic examination of the influence of a steel’s sulfur content are described.