| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Mechanical Behavior of Nuclear Reactor Materials and Components IV
|
| Presentation Title |
Towards NRC Approval of the Fracture Toughness Test for RPV Integrity Evaluation for Long-Term Operation: Challenges and Opportunities |
| Author(s) |
Caleb Clement, Brian Hall |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Caleb Clement |
| Abstract Scope |
This presentation summarizes recent efforts to gain NRC acceptance of the master curve method (ASTM E1921) as NRC-approved methodology to evaluate RPV integrity. ASTM E1921 employs fatigue pre-cracked fracture toughness specimens to characterize the fracture toughness in the ductile to brittle transition temperature region of ferritic steels at the onset of cleavage crack initiation. The methodology specifies sufficient margin to account for uncertainties in testing, fluence, and RPV component variability. ASTM E1921 also allows for the standardized testing of miniature compact tension fracture toughness specimens which can be fabricated from tested CVN specimens to provide direct comparative testing of the methodologies on the same samples. Permissibility of smaller sample geometries open the door for further innovative processes to help validate long-term operation to 80 and 100 years. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Iron and Steel, Nuclear Materials, Mechanical Properties |