The effect of rare-earth cerium on impurity P-induced embrittlement for an advanced SA508Gr.4N reactor pressure vessels steel is investigated by virtue of microstructural characterization,Auger electron spectroscopy(A...The effect of rare-earth cerium on impurity P-induced embrittlement for an advanced SA508Gr.4N reactor pressure vessels steel is investigated by virtue of microstructural characterization,Auger electron spectroscopy(AES),and spin-polarized density functional theory(DFT)calculations.The ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures(DBTTs)are evaluated by Charpy impact testing,and grain boundary segregation(GBS)of P is quantified by AES.Trace addition of Ce can effectively reduce GBS level of P,thereby substantially decreasing the embrittlement induced by P.A linear correlation between DBTT(℃)and GBS level of P(Cp,at.%)is observed for both undoped and Ce-doped samples,being expressed as DBTT=13.13C_(p)-335.70(undoped)and DBTT=12.67C_(p)-350.78(Ce-doped).In the absence of GBS of P,the incorporation of Ce appears to play a pivotal role in augmenting the intrinsic toughness.These results imply that the impact of Ce on impurity P-induced embrittlement may be attributed to a combination of increasing the intrinsic toughness and lowering GBS of P.DFT calculations indicate that there is a negligible interaction between Ce and P in the ternary alloy,and thus GBS of P and Ce is mainly site-competitive.展开更多
Correction to:J.Iron Steel Res.Int.https://doi.org/10.1007/s42243-025-01460-1 The publication of this article unfortunately contained mistakes.The revised and accepted dates were not correct.The corrected dates are gi...Correction to:J.Iron Steel Res.Int.https://doi.org/10.1007/s42243-025-01460-1 The publication of this article unfortunately contained mistakes.The revised and accepted dates were not correct.The corrected dates are given below.展开更多
The crystal structure evolution of the Cu-rich nano precipitates from bcc to 9R during thermal aging was studied in nuclear reactor pressure vessel （RPV） model steels. The specimens, contained higher copper and nick...The crystal structure evolution of the Cu-rich nano precipitates from bcc to 9R during thermal aging was studied in nuclear reactor pressure vessel （RPV） model steels. The specimens, contained higher copper and nickel contents than commercially available one, were heated at 890 ~C for 0.5 h and then water quenched followed by tempering at 0（50 ~C for I0 h and aging at 400 ~C for 1000 h. It was observed that bcc and 9R orthogonal structure, as well as 9R orthogonal and 9R monoclinic structure, coexist in a single Cu-rich nano precipitate. Further analyses pointed out that Cu-rich nano precipitates of bcc structure were not stable, it may preferentially transform to 9R orthogonal structure and then to 9R monoclinic structure. This results showed that the crystal structure evolution of the Cu-rich nano precipitates was complex.展开更多
The two-pass isothermal hot compression method was used to study the effect of different thermal deformation conditions on static recrystallization behavior in Ni-Cr-Mo series SA508Gr.4N low alloy steel with interval ...The two-pass isothermal hot compression method was used to study the effect of different thermal deformation conditions on static recrystallization behavior in Ni-Cr-Mo series SA508Gr.4N low alloy steel with interval holding time ranging from 1 to 300 s,temperature ranging from 950 to 1150℃,strain rate ranging from 0.01 to 1 s^(-1),true strains ranging from 0.1 to 0.2,and initial austenite grain size ranging from 175 to 552μm.It can be concluded that the static recrystallization volume fraction gradually increases with the increase in the deformation temperature,strain rate,strain and pass interval,and the decrease in the initial grain size,which is mainly due to the increase in the deformation energy storage and dislocations.Moreover,strain-induced grain boundary migration is the nucleation mechanism for static recrystallization of SA508Gr.4N low alloy steel.Based on the stress-strain curve,the predicted value obtained from the established static recrystallization kinetics model is in good consistence with the experimental value,and the static recrystallization thermal activation energy of SA508Gr.4N steel was calculated as 264,225.99 J/mol.展开更多
The mechanical and fatigue properties of SA508-Ⅳ steel with martensite and granular bainite, respectively, were studied. The mechanical tests results showed that the ultimate tensile strength and impact toughness of ...The mechanical and fatigue properties of SA508-Ⅳ steel with martensite and granular bainite, respectively, were studied. The mechanical tests results showed that the ultimate tensile strength and impact toughness of the specimen with martensite were 830 MPa and 158 J, respectively, and those of the specimen with granular bainite were 811 MPa and 115 J, respectively. The former had higher tensile strength and impact toughness than the latter. The impact tests results showed that the former belonged to typical dimple fracture, while the latter belonged to brittle fracture. The fatigue tests results showed that the fatigue life of the specimen with martensite was 2717 cycles, and that of the specimen with granular bainite was 1545 cycles under the strain amplitude of ± 0.45%. The specimen with martensite had fewer crack initiation points, narrower fatigue striations separation, and larger volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries than the latter. The fewer crack initiation points meant fewer fatigue cracks, the narrower fatigue striations separation meant slower crack propagation rate, and the larger volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries could more effectively hinder fatigue crack propagation. Based on these facts, the fatigue life of the specimen with martensite was higher than that of the specimen with granular bainite.展开更多
Effects of the weld microstructure and inclusions on brittle fracture initiation are investigated in a thermally aged ferritic high-nickel weld of a reactor pressure vessel head from a decommissioned nuclear power pla...Effects of the weld microstructure and inclusions on brittle fracture initiation are investigated in a thermally aged ferritic high-nickel weld of a reactor pressure vessel head from a decommissioned nuclear power plant.As-welded and reheated regions mainly consist of acicular and polygonal ferrite,respectively.Fractographic examination of Charpy V-notch impact toughness specimens reveals large inclusions(0.5-2.5μm)at the brittle fracture primary initiation sites.High impact energies were measured for the specimens in which brittle fracture was initiated from a small inclusion or an inclusion away from the V-notch.The density,geometry,and chemical composition of the primary initiation inclusions were investigated.A brittle fracture crack initiates as a microcrack either within the multiphase oxide inclusions or from the debonded interfaces between the uncracked inclusions and weld metal matrix.Primary fracture sites can be determined in all the specimens tested in the lower part of the transition curve at and below the 41-J reference impact toughness energy but not above the mentioned value because of the changes in the fracture mechanism and resulting changes in the fracture appearance.展开更多
Microstructure evolution in neutron irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel （RPV） steels was experimentally simulated through an improved degradation procedure in this study. The degradation procedure includes austenitiz...Microstructure evolution in neutron irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel （RPV） steels was experimentally simulated through an improved degradation procedure in this study. The degradation procedure includes austenitizing at 1 150℃ and water quench, deformation 10% and 30% respectively, and then thermal aging at 500℃ for different period of time. The microstructure of the specimens was analyzed in details using transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The micro-hardness test results showed that all the hardness curves of undeformed, 10% pre-deformed and 30% pre-deformed specimens have two micro-hardness peaks with the first peak value corresponding to different thermal aging time of 1 hour, 5 hours and 10 hours, respectively. It was revealed that the hardness curves were influenced by the precipitation of Cu-rich precipitates （CRPs） and carbides, deposition of martensite and work hardening.展开更多
Predicting the transition-temperature shift(TTS)induced by neutron irradiation in reactor pressure-vessel(RPV)steels is important for the evaluation and extension of nuclear power-plant lifetimes.Current prediction mo...Predicting the transition-temperature shift(TTS)induced by neutron irradiation in reactor pressure-vessel(RPV)steels is important for the evaluation and extension of nuclear power-plant lifetimes.Current prediction models may fail to properly describe the embrittlement trend curves of Chinese domestic RPV steels with relatively low Cu content.Based on the screened surveillance data of Chinese domestic and similar international RPV steels,we have developed a new fluencedependent model for predicting the irradiation-embrittlement trend.The fast neutron fluence(E>1 MeV)exhibited the highest correlation coefficient with the measured TTS data;thus,it is a crucial parameter in the prediction model.The chemical composition has little relevance to the TTS residual calculated by the fluence-dependent model.The results show that the newly developed model with a simple power-law functional form of the neutron fluence is suitable for predicting the irradiation-embrittlement trend of Chinese domestic RPVs,regardless of the effect of the chemical composition.展开更多
Integrated reactor structural design makes the pressure vessel itself and loads more complicated, so stress concentration makes strength failure easier at reactor coolant pump nozzle. The general purpose finite elemen...Integrated reactor structural design makes the pressure vessel itself and loads more complicated, so stress concentration makes strength failure easier at reactor coolant pump nozzle. The general purpose finite element program ANSYS/ WORKBENCH was used for 3D stress and fatigue analysis and the results of the evaluation are based on RCC-M criteria. The integrated reactor structural design is evaluated to demonstrate with applicable criteria and ANSYS/WORK- BENCH has better operability than ANSYS APDL on stress analysis of reactor pressure vessel.展开更多
Reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the only key component that can not be replaced in nuclear power plants (NPPs), is the main barrier against the radioactive leakage. The lifetime of NPPs is dependent heavily on the life...Reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the only key component that can not be replaced in nuclear power plants (NPPs), is the main barrier against the radioactive leakage. The lifetime of NPPs is dependent heavily on the life of RPV, and thus, the aging and life research on a RPV is a key factor in determining the life extension of NPPs. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an aging and life management system for an operating RPV which can be used as a reference of the lifetime extension. In order to realize the objective, an aging and life management system was developed. It is an comprehensive knowledge management system that integrates decentralized information and serves as a valuable data center. Based on the storage and management of RPV state information and operation data, this system provides real-time monitoring of important operating parameters, evaluation of irradiation embrittlement, and RPV aging assessment. Therefore, it is anticipated that the developed system can be used as an efficient tool for aging and life estimation of RPV.展开更多
The reactor pressure vessel(RPV)is susceptible to brittle fracture due to the influence of ion irradiation and high temperature,which presents a significant risk to the safe operation of nuclear reactors.It has been d...The reactor pressure vessel(RPV)is susceptible to brittle fracture due to the influence of ion irradiation and high temperature,which presents a significant risk to the safe operation of nuclear reactors.It has been demonstrated that pulsed electric current can effectively address the issue of embrittlement in RPV steel.However,the relationship between pulse parameters(duty ratio,frequency,current,and time)and the effectiveness of pulse current processing has not been systematically studied.The application of machine learning methods enables autonomous exploration and learning of the relationship between data.Consequently,this study proposes a machine learning method based on the random forest model to establish the relationship between the parameters of electrical pulses and the repair effect of RPV steel.A generative adversarial network is employed to enhance data diversity and scalability,while a particle swarm optimization algorithm is utilized to optimize the initialization weights and biases of the random forest model,aiming to improve the model’s fitting ability and training performance.The results indicate that the coefficient of determination R-square(R^(2)),root mean squared error and mean absolute error values are 0.934,0.045,and 0.036,respectively,suggesting that the model has the potential to predict the performance recovery of RPV steel after pulsed electric field treatment.The prediction of the impact of pulse current parameters on the repair effect will help to enhance and optimize the repair process,thereby providing a scientific basis for pulse current repair processing.展开更多
基金supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M740973)the Shenzhen Polytechnic University Research Fund,China(No.6023310017K)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52071088 and 51871064).
文摘The effect of rare-earth cerium on impurity P-induced embrittlement for an advanced SA508Gr.4N reactor pressure vessels steel is investigated by virtue of microstructural characterization,Auger electron spectroscopy(AES),and spin-polarized density functional theory(DFT)calculations.The ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures(DBTTs)are evaluated by Charpy impact testing,and grain boundary segregation(GBS)of P is quantified by AES.Trace addition of Ce can effectively reduce GBS level of P,thereby substantially decreasing the embrittlement induced by P.A linear correlation between DBTT(℃)and GBS level of P(Cp,at.%)is observed for both undoped and Ce-doped samples,being expressed as DBTT=13.13C_(p)-335.70(undoped)and DBTT=12.67C_(p)-350.78(Ce-doped).In the absence of GBS of P,the incorporation of Ce appears to play a pivotal role in augmenting the intrinsic toughness.These results imply that the impact of Ce on impurity P-induced embrittlement may be attributed to a combination of increasing the intrinsic toughness and lowering GBS of P.DFT calculations indicate that there is a negligible interaction between Ce and P in the ternary alloy,and thus GBS of P and Ce is mainly site-competitive.
文摘Correction to:J.Iron Steel Res.Int.https://doi.org/10.1007/s42243-025-01460-1 The publication of this article unfortunately contained mistakes.The revised and accepted dates were not correct.The corrected dates are given below.
基金financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(No.2011CB610503)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.50931003)Ministry of Major Subject of Shanghai(No.S30107)
文摘The crystal structure evolution of the Cu-rich nano precipitates from bcc to 9R during thermal aging was studied in nuclear reactor pressure vessel （RPV） model steels. The specimens, contained higher copper and nickel contents than commercially available one, were heated at 890 ~C for 0.5 h and then water quenched followed by tempering at 0（50 ~C for I0 h and aging at 400 ~C for 1000 h. It was observed that bcc and 9R orthogonal structure, as well as 9R orthogonal and 9R monoclinic structure, coexist in a single Cu-rich nano precipitate. Further analyses pointed out that Cu-rich nano precipitates of bcc structure were not stable, it may preferentially transform to 9R orthogonal structure and then to 9R monoclinic structure. This results showed that the crystal structure evolution of the Cu-rich nano precipitates was complex.
基金This work was financially supported by the National Energy Application Technology Research and Engineering Demonstrative Project of China(NY201501)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(863 program.No.2012AA03A501)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFB0300203).
文摘The two-pass isothermal hot compression method was used to study the effect of different thermal deformation conditions on static recrystallization behavior in Ni-Cr-Mo series SA508Gr.4N low alloy steel with interval holding time ranging from 1 to 300 s,temperature ranging from 950 to 1150℃,strain rate ranging from 0.01 to 1 s^(-1),true strains ranging from 0.1 to 0.2,and initial austenite grain size ranging from 175 to 552μm.It can be concluded that the static recrystallization volume fraction gradually increases with the increase in the deformation temperature,strain rate,strain and pass interval,and the decrease in the initial grain size,which is mainly due to the increase in the deformation energy storage and dislocations.Moreover,strain-induced grain boundary migration is the nucleation mechanism for static recrystallization of SA508Gr.4N low alloy steel.Based on the stress-strain curve,the predicted value obtained from the established static recrystallization kinetics model is in good consistence with the experimental value,and the static recrystallization thermal activation energy of SA508Gr.4N steel was calculated as 264,225.99 J/mol.
基金the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation under No.2162026 and the 863 Program of China under Nos.2008AA031702 and 2012AA03A507 for financial support.
文摘The mechanical and fatigue properties of SA508-Ⅳ steel with martensite and granular bainite, respectively, were studied. The mechanical tests results showed that the ultimate tensile strength and impact toughness of the specimen with martensite were 830 MPa and 158 J, respectively, and those of the specimen with granular bainite were 811 MPa and 115 J, respectively. The former had higher tensile strength and impact toughness than the latter. The impact tests results showed that the former belonged to typical dimple fracture, while the latter belonged to brittle fracture. The fatigue tests results showed that the fatigue life of the specimen with martensite was 2717 cycles, and that of the specimen with granular bainite was 1545 cycles under the strain amplitude of ± 0.45%. The specimen with martensite had fewer crack initiation points, narrower fatigue striations separation, and larger volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries than the latter. The fewer crack initiation points meant fewer fatigue cracks, the narrower fatigue striations separation meant slower crack propagation rate, and the larger volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries could more effectively hinder fatigue crack propagation. Based on these facts, the fatigue life of the specimen with martensite was higher than that of the specimen with granular bainite.
基金the SAFIR2022 BRUTE project (Barseback RPV material used for true evaluation of embrittlement) for funding the study
文摘Effects of the weld microstructure and inclusions on brittle fracture initiation are investigated in a thermally aged ferritic high-nickel weld of a reactor pressure vessel head from a decommissioned nuclear power plant.As-welded and reheated regions mainly consist of acicular and polygonal ferrite,respectively.Fractographic examination of Charpy V-notch impact toughness specimens reveals large inclusions(0.5-2.5μm)at the brittle fracture primary initiation sites.High impact energies were measured for the specimens in which brittle fracture was initiated from a small inclusion or an inclusion away from the V-notch.The density,geometry,and chemical composition of the primary initiation inclusions were investigated.A brittle fracture crack initiates as a microcrack either within the multiphase oxide inclusions or from the debonded interfaces between the uncracked inclusions and weld metal matrix.Primary fracture sites can be determined in all the specimens tested in the lower part of the transition curve at and below the 41-J reference impact toughness energy but not above the mentioned value because of the changes in the fracture mechanism and resulting changes in the fracture appearance.
文摘Microstructure evolution in neutron irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel （RPV） steels was experimentally simulated through an improved degradation procedure in this study. The degradation procedure includes austenitizing at 1 150℃ and water quench, deformation 10% and 30% respectively, and then thermal aging at 500℃ for different period of time. The microstructure of the specimens was analyzed in details using transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The micro-hardness test results showed that all the hardness curves of undeformed, 10% pre-deformed and 30% pre-deformed specimens have two micro-hardness peaks with the first peak value corresponding to different thermal aging time of 1 hour, 5 hours and 10 hours, respectively. It was revealed that the hardness curves were influenced by the precipitation of Cu-rich precipitates （CRPs） and carbides, deposition of martensite and work hardening.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2019YFB1900901)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2021MS032)
文摘Predicting the transition-temperature shift(TTS)induced by neutron irradiation in reactor pressure-vessel(RPV)steels is important for the evaluation and extension of nuclear power-plant lifetimes.Current prediction models may fail to properly describe the embrittlement trend curves of Chinese domestic RPV steels with relatively low Cu content.Based on the screened surveillance data of Chinese domestic and similar international RPV steels,we have developed a new fluencedependent model for predicting the irradiation-embrittlement trend.The fast neutron fluence(E>1 MeV)exhibited the highest correlation coefficient with the measured TTS data;thus,it is a crucial parameter in the prediction model.The chemical composition has little relevance to the TTS residual calculated by the fluence-dependent model.The results show that the newly developed model with a simple power-law functional form of the neutron fluence is suitable for predicting the irradiation-embrittlement trend of Chinese domestic RPVs,regardless of the effect of the chemical composition.
文摘Integrated reactor structural design makes the pressure vessel itself and loads more complicated, so stress concentration makes strength failure easier at reactor coolant pump nozzle. The general purpose finite element program ANSYS/ WORKBENCH was used for 3D stress and fatigue analysis and the results of the evaluation are based on RCC-M criteria. The integrated reactor structural design is evaluated to demonstrate with applicable criteria and ANSYS/WORK- BENCH has better operability than ANSYS APDL on stress analysis of reactor pressure vessel.
文摘Reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the only key component that can not be replaced in nuclear power plants (NPPs), is the main barrier against the radioactive leakage. The lifetime of NPPs is dependent heavily on the life of RPV, and thus, the aging and life research on a RPV is a key factor in determining the life extension of NPPs. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an aging and life management system for an operating RPV which can be used as a reference of the lifetime extension. In order to realize the objective, an aging and life management system was developed. It is an comprehensive knowledge management system that integrates decentralized information and serves as a valuable data center. Based on the storage and management of RPV state information and operation data, this system provides real-time monitoring of important operating parameters, evaluation of irradiation embrittlement, and RPV aging assessment. Therefore, it is anticipated that the developed system can be used as an efficient tool for aging and life estimation of RPV.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U21B2082,52474410)the National Key R&D Program of China(2023YFB3709903,2020 YFA0714900)+5 种基金the Key R&D Program of Shandong Province,China(2023CXGC010406)the Scientific Research Special Project for First-Class Disciplines in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(YLXKZXNKD-001)the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China(2024ZD06)the Technology Support Project for the Construction of Major Innovation Platforms in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(XM2024XTGXQ16)the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(2222065)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(FRF-TP-22-02C2).
文摘The reactor pressure vessel(RPV)is susceptible to brittle fracture due to the influence of ion irradiation and high temperature,which presents a significant risk to the safe operation of nuclear reactors.It has been demonstrated that pulsed electric current can effectively address the issue of embrittlement in RPV steel.However,the relationship between pulse parameters(duty ratio,frequency,current,and time)and the effectiveness of pulse current processing has not been systematically studied.The application of machine learning methods enables autonomous exploration and learning of the relationship between data.Consequently,this study proposes a machine learning method based on the random forest model to establish the relationship between the parameters of electrical pulses and the repair effect of RPV steel.A generative adversarial network is employed to enhance data diversity and scalability,while a particle swarm optimization algorithm is utilized to optimize the initialization weights and biases of the random forest model,aiming to improve the model’s fitting ability and training performance.The results indicate that the coefficient of determination R-square(R^(2)),root mean squared error and mean absolute error values are 0.934,0.045,and 0.036,respectively,suggesting that the model has the potential to predict the performance recovery of RPV steel after pulsed electric field treatment.The prediction of the impact of pulse current parameters on the repair effect will help to enhance and optimize the repair process,thereby providing a scientific basis for pulse current repair processing.
