Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of Low Alloy Steels Used for Reactor Pressure Vessel in High Temperature Oxygenated Water

Abstract

Studies have been done on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of low alloy steels in water containing dissolved oxygen. The fundamental factors which affect the SCC susceptibility were clarified, and the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), in which these steels are used, was assessed from the standpoint of SCC initiation. The effects of applied stress, strain rate, dissolved oxygen concentration, and test temperatures, on the SCC susceptibility was examined utilizing uniaxial constant load tensile tests (UCL), and slow strain rate tests (SSRT).