• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.9
• /
• pp.2990-3002
• /
• 2021

The mechanical interaction between the fuel pellet and the cladding tube of a nuclear fuel rod is a very important for safety studies as this phenomenon could lead to fuel failure and release of radioactivity. To investigate the ductility of cladding tubes used in WWER type nuclear power plants, several mandrel tests were performed in the Centre for Energy Research (EK). This modified mandrel test was used to model the mechanical interaction between the fuel pellet and the cladding using a segmented tool. The tests were conducted at room temperature and at 300 ℃ with inactive as-received and hydrogenated cladding ring samples. The results show a gradual decrease in ductility as the hydrogen content increases, the ductile-brittle transition was seen above 1500 ppm hydrogen absorbed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.239-245
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree of microstructural change of materials using ultrasonic nonlinear parameters. For microstructure change, isothermal heat-treated ferritic 2.25Cr steel and low-cycle fatigue-damage copper alloy were prepared. The variation in ultrasonic nonlinearity was analyzed and evaluated through changes in hardness, ductile-brittle transition temperature, electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction tests. Ultrasonic nonlinearity of 2.25Cr steel increased rapidly during the first 1,000 hours of deterioration and then gradually increased thereafter. The variation in non-linear parameters was shown to be coarsening of carbides and an increase in the volume fraction of stable M6C carbides during heat treatment. Due to the low-cycle fatigue deformation of oxygen-free copper, the dislocation that causes lattice deformation developed in the material, distorting the propagating ultrasonic waves, and causing an increase in the ultrasonic nonlinear parameters.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.3234-3242
• /
• 1996

This paper describes experimental results of modified small punch( MSP) test conducted to evaluate the fracure characteristics and mechanical properties of plasma sparayed zirconia ($ZrO_2$ stabilized with 8wt. % $Y_20_3$ : YSZ) NiCrAlY composite. The mixing ratios of YSZ/NiCrAlY were 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 100/0 v.%. Test temperatures ranged from 293K to 1473K. This study is directed at development of thermal barrrier coating(TBC) system with superior heat resistance and mechanical properties. The microstructure and fracture process of the composite were examined by SEM and AE method. The mechanical properties of 100% YSZ were nearly independent of the temperatures tested in this study. In contrast, the NiCrAlY-containing composites showed a significant decrease of the mechanical properties above 1273K, showing a ductile- brittle transition behavior up to the temperature. Furthermore, it can seen that 25% YSZ/75% NiCrAlY composite gave the highest fracure strength and fracture energy among the mixing ratio tested over the temperature range.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.24 no.7 s.178
• /
• pp.1673-1680
• /
• 2000

The degradation of a boiler header constructed by a material, 1Cr-0.5Mo steel in a fossil power plant is observed when the header is exposed for a long period to the high temperature and pressure. The present investigations are for evaluating the effect of the degradation on the material, such as its strength changes. Reheat-treated metal is used to compare the mechanical properties of the degraded and that of reheat-treated materials. Through the investigation, following results are obtained 1) the area ratio of ferrite in the reheat-treated material is larger than that of the degraded material, 2) the hardness and tensile strength of the degraded material are lower than that of the reheat-treated material, 3) the ductile-brittle transition temperature(DBTT) increased toward high temperature region, 4) the fatigue crack growth rate(FCGR) of the degraded material is higher than that of the reheat-treated material in the region of low ΔK value while FCGR of the both materials are similar in high ΔK region.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.811-818
• /
• 2020

Y-containing CLAM steels were melted via vacuum induction melting and electroslag remelting. In this study, the evolution, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the alloy inclusions (ESR-1 (0 wt.% Y), ESR-2 (0.016 wt.% Y) and ESR-3 (0.042 wt.% Y)) were investigated. Further, the number of inclusions in ESRed steel was observed to obviously decrease, and the distributions were more uniform. The fine Y-Al-O inclusions (1-2 ㎛) were the main inclusions in ESR-2. The addition of Y affected the prior austenite grain size (PAGZ), increasing the tensile strength at test temperature. Low ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) was obtained because of the fine PAGZ and dispersive inclusions. For the ESRed CLAM steel with 0.016 wt.% Y, the yield strengths were 621 MPa at 20 ℃ and 354 MPa at 600 ℃ in air. Further, the uniform elongation and elongation of the ESR-2 alloy were 5.5% and 20.1% at 20 ℃, respectively. Meanwhile, the DBTT tested using full-size Charpy impact specimen (55 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm) was reduced to -83 ℃.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.189-195
• /
• 2019

The effect of C, Mn, and Al additions on the tensile and Charpy impact properties of austenitic high-manganese steels for cryogenic applications is investigated in terms of the deformation mechanism dependent on stacking fault energy and austenite stability. The addition of the alloying elements usually increases the stacking fault energy, which is calculated using a modified thermodynamic model. Although the yield strength of austenitic high-manganese steels is increased by the addition of the alloying elements, the tensile strength is significantly affected by the deformation mechanism associated with stacking fault energy because of grain size refinement caused by deformation twinning and mobile dislocations generated during deformation-induced martensite transformation. None of the austenitic high-manganese steels exhibit clear ductile-brittle transition behavior, but their absorbed energy gradually decreases with lowering test temperature, regardless of the alloying elements. However, the combined addition of Mn and Al to the austenitic high-manganese steels suppresses the decrease in absorbed energy with a decreasing temperature by enhancing austenite stability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.1589-1595
• /
• 2019

In this paper, the CLAM steel strengthened by micro-scale Y-Zr-O was prepared by vacuum induction melting followed by electroslag remelting (VIM-ESR). Yttrium (Y) and zirconium (Zr) were easy to aggregates into massive yttrium-zirconium-rich inclusions in the steel melted by vacuum induction melting (VIM), which would interrupt the continuity of the matrix and reduce the mechanical properties of steel. Micron-sized Y-Zr-O inclusions would be produced with the removal of original blocky Y-Zr-rich inclusions and the submicron-sized inclusions smaller than $0.2{\mu}m$ could be retained in the steel. The small grain size and the better refinement and distribution uniformity of Y-Zr-O inclusions after remelting would be responsible for the better yield strength and toughness. For VIM-ESR alloy, the ultimate tensile strength is 749 MPa and the yield strength is 642 MPa at room temperature, meanwhile they are 391 MPa and 367 MPa at $600^{\circ}C$, respectively. Meanwhile, the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) reduced from $-43^{\circ}C$ (VIM) to $-76^{\circ}C$ (VIM-ESR).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.251-256
• /
• 2023

This study aims to examine the correlation between microstructures and the mechanical properties of two high-strength API X70 linepipe steels with different specimen directions and Moaddition. The microstructure of the Mo-added steel has an irregularly shaped AF, GB matrix with pearlite because of the relatively large deformation in the non-recrystallization temperature region, while that of the Mo-free steel shows a PF matrix with bainitic microstructure. In the Mo-added steel, the M/A (martensite-austenite) in granular bainite (GB) and pearlite act as crack initiation sites with decreased upper shelf energy and an increased ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT). Regardless of Mo addition, all of the steels demonstrate higher strength and lower elongation in the T direction than in the L direction because of the short dislocation glide path and ease of pile-up at grain boundaries. In addition, the impact test specimens with T-L direction had a lower impact absorbed energy and higher DBTT than those with the L-T direction because the former exhibit shorter unit crack path compared to the latter.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.24 no.10
• /
• pp.520-525
• /
• 2014

Effects of Cu and B on effective grain size and low-temperature toughness of thermo-mechanically processed high-strength bainitic steels were investigated in this study. The microstructure of the steel specimens was analyzed using optical, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy; their effective grain size was also characterized by electron back-scattered diffraction. To evaluate the strength and low-temperature toughness, tensile and Charpy impact tests were carried out. The specimens were composed of various low-temperature transformation products such as granular bainite (GB), degenerated upper bainite (DUB), lower bainite (LB), and lath marteniste (LM), dependent on the addition of Cu and B. The addition of Cu slightly increased the yield and tensile strength, but substantially deteriorated the low-temperature toughness because of the higher volume fraction of DUB with a large effective grain size. The specimen containing both Cu and B had the highest strength, but showed worse low-temperature toughness of higher ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and lower absorbed energy because it mostly consisted of LB and LM. In the B-added specimen, on the other hand, it was possible to obtain the best combination of high strength and good low-temperature toughness by decreasing the overall effective grain size via the appropriate formation of different low-temperature transformation products containing GB, DUB, and LB/LM.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.306-313
• /
• 2014

Super duplex stainless steels (sDSS) are excellent for use under severely corrosive conditions such as offshore and marine applications like pipelines and flanges. sDSS has better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance than the standard duplex stainless steel (DSS) but it is easier for a sigma phase to appear, which depresses the mechanical property and corrosion resistance, compared to DSS, because sDSS has a higher alloy element than DSS. In addition, sDSS has a feeble ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) because it has a 50% ferrite microstructure. In the actual operating environment, sDSS would be thermally affected by welding and a sub-zero temperature environment. This study analyzed how precipitated sDSS behaves at a sub-zero temperature through annealing heat treatment and a sub-zero tensile test. Six types of specimens with annealing times of up to 60 min were tested in a sub-zero chamber. According to the experimental results, an increase in the annealing time reduced the elongation of sDSS, and a decrease in the tensile test temperature raises the flow stress and tensile stress. In particular, the elongation of specimens annealed for 15 min and 30 min was clearly lowered with a decrease in the tensile test temperature because of the increasing sigma phase fraction ratio.