Study on hydrogen embrittlement and dynamic strain ageing on low-alloy reactor pressure vessel steels

G. S. Rao, Y. Yagodzinskyy, Zaiqing Que (Corresponding Author), P. Spätig, H. P. Seifert

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

    5 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Tensile tests in air with hydrogen pre-charged smooth specimens and slow strain rate tests with smooth and notched specimens in hydrogenated high-temperature water (HTW) at elevated temperatures (250−288 °C) on low-alloy reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels revealed a softening in strength and a pronounced reduction in ductility, where the magnitude of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) increased with the dynamic strain ageing (DSA) susceptibility of the RPV steels. In hydrogen pre-charged specimens and in hydrogenated HTW, shear dominated transgranular fracture by microvoid coalescence with increasing amounts of macrovoids, quasi-cleavage regions and secondary cracking were observed. Thermal desorption spectroscopy showed an increase in the concentration of trapped hydrogen in high binding energy traps (vacancies & voids) induced by straining in DSA regime. The observed hydrogen effects on fracture behaviour is a consequence of plasticity localization resulting from the interaction between DSA and hydrogen. HESIV and HELP are the dominant HE mechanisms.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number153161
    JournalJournal of Nuclear Materials
    Volume556
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2021
    MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

    Keywords

    • Dynamic strain ageing
    • Hydrogen embrittlement
    • Low-alloy steel
    • Reactor pressure vessel
    • Thermal desorption spectroscopy

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