| Abstract Scope |
Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) is a critical failure mode in nuclear reactor environments, where materials are exposed to high temperatures, radiation, and corrosive media. Specific EAC studies in nuclear environments include stress corrosion cracking in primary water chemistry, irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) under neutron exposure, and hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) in reactor pressure vessels. The experimental methodologies of EAC include slow strain rate testing (SSRT), constant load, and cyclic loading techniques, conducted in autoclaves designed to simulate the reactor’s operational environments. This paper highlights several experimental case studies, especially on IASCC, conducted within the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). Transmission electron microscopy analysis on conventional and additively manufactured materials was performed to understand microstructural and microchemical changes in response to IASCC. The findings contribute to the understanding of failure mechanisms in nuclear components, offering vital data for materials development, commercial materials readiness evaluation, and risk assessment in nuclear reactors. |