Irradiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steel at very high neutron fluence

For the prediction of radiation embrittlement of RPV materials beyond the NPP design time the analysis of research data and extended surveillance data up to a fluence ∼23 × 1020 cm−2 (E > 0.5 MeV) has been carried out. The experimental data used for the analysis are extracted from the International Database of RPV materials. Key irradiation embrittlement mechanisms, direct matrix damage, precipitation and element segregation have been considered. The essential part of the analysis concerns the assessment of irradiation embrittlement of WWER-440 steel irradiated with very high neutron fluence. The analysis of several surveillance sets irradiated at a fluence up to 23 × 1020 cm−2 (E > 0.5 MeV) has been performed. The effect of the main influencing chemical elements phosphorus and copper has been verified up to a fluence of 4.6 × 1020 cm−2 (E > 0.5 MeV). The data are indicating good radiation stability, in terms of the Charpy transition temperature shift and yield strength increase for steels with relatively low concentrations of copper and phosphorus. The linear dependence between ΔTk and ΔRp0.2 can be an evidence of strengthening mechanisms of irradiation embrittlement and absence of non-hardening embrittlement even at very high neutron fluence.

► Performance of new analysis of research and surveillance data of RPV materials.
► Copper and phosphorus are the most influencing chemical.
► Influence of phosphorus and copper to Tk shift has been observed.
► A non-hardening embrittlement is not a critical mechanism.