Stress Corrosion Testing of Irradiated Type 304 SS Under Constant Load

Abstract

Constant load stress corrosion tests were conducted on type 304 SS, which had been irradiated to fast neutron fluences in the range from 0.12 to 3.00 x 1021 n/cm2 (E> 1 MeV) in two boiling water reactors. The material originated from three different heats and product forms. Since some of the test specimens had fractured in a creviced region outside of the gauge section, times to failure and % intergranular stress corrosion cracking were evaluated in terms of specimen type, crevice vs noncrevice failures, stress level, and fluence. Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking failures were obtained at fluences as low as 0.38 x 1021 n/cm2 and at stresses well below the yield strength.