Significant efforts are ongoing, nationally and internationally, to reduce the radioactivity of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) for their disposal in a potential repository by transmutation. Martensitic alloys EP-823, HT-9, and 422 (UNS S42200) are currently being considered as candidate target structural materials for transmutation applications. This paper presents the results of stress corrosion cracking studies of these three alloys in aqueous environments of different pH values under constant load and slow strain rate testing conditions at ambient and elevated temperatures. Metallographic and fractographic evaluations of all broken specimens by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy have also been performed.

Subject
Acids, Scanning electron microscopy, Test methods, Materials, Gauges, Notches, Stress cracking, Acidity, Stress, Stress strain, Mechanical failure, Alloys, Stress corrosion cracking
Keywords:
high-level waste, martensitic alloys, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, slow strain rate testing, spent nuclear fuel, stress corrosion cracking
NACE International
2005
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