Corporate Induction Training Programme

on Reactor Engineering (NE-04)

Nuclear Materials

Rishi Kumar Sharma

rishis@npcil.co.in

Factors for Material Selection in NPPs

Physical Properties
- Density
- Melting Point
- Coefficient of Linear Expansion
- Thermal Conductivity
Mechanical Properties
- Yield Strength
- Tensile Strength
- Elongation at Fracture (Ductility)
- Creep Strength
- Fatigue Life
- Impact Strength and Fracture
Toughness

Neutronic Characteristics
- Low Neutron Capture Cross Section
-

(Core)
High Neutron Capture Cross Section
(Control Rod)

Factors for Material Selection in NPPs

-Ability to Withstand Stress, Environment and

Temperature Over Life Time

-Previous Experience Under Similar Conditions, if any

-Corrosion resistance
-Guidelines for Design in Codes
-Irradiation behavior

PHWRs

Schematic of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

Ref: Nuclear Engineering and Design 236 (2006) 701722

Pressure Tubes

Miniature pressure vessel

Final pressure boundary for hot coolant
Subjected to ~10 MPa pressure, ~300 oC temperature and fast
neutron flux of ~3e17 n/m2/s

Ref.: SMiRT-21, Div.II Paper ID-720 and IAEA-TECDOC-1410, October 2004

Reactor Core Component Materials

Fuel Clad
Zircaloy-2

Coolant tube
Cold worked Zircaloy-2 in older generation reactors
Cold worked Zr-2.5Nb in new generation reactors

Calandria tubes(Zircaloy-4 was developed from Zircaloy-2 with the principal aim of
reducing the tendency to pick up hydrogen, same composition specifications are applicable,
except for Ni, which is limited to a maximum of 0.007%, and Fe, the range of which is reduced to
0.12 to 0.18%)

Zircaloy-4
Seam welded tubes in fully annealed condition
Seamless tubes in fully annealed condition

Garter springs
Zr-2.5% Nb-0.5% Cu in heat treated condition

Reactivity Mechanism Tubes

Zircaloy-4

Material selection criteria

Zirconium alloys primarily chosen for
Low neutron absorption cross section:The main reason for choosing
Zr-alloys is its very low thermal neutron absorption cross section
(0.18 barn compared with 3.1 barn for iron).
Good corrosion resistance
Suitable mechanical properties
Stability under irradiation and operating conditions

End fitting: Type 403 Martensitic SS

Feeders, Headers, PHT piping: Carbon steel
(SA106Gr.B, SA-333Gr.6, SA-333Gr.6 with 0.2-0.4%Cr)

Principal Material of Construction Moderator:Calandria vessel:

Type 304 SS

Piping:

Type 304 SS

Effect of Alloying Elements in Zirconium

Pure Zirconium has inadequate properties.

Alloying elements are added to improve material properties such as

strength, corrosion properties, in-service behavior.

Zr-2 / Zr-4 Alloy

Oxygen: When added in range of 1000-1400 ppm increases yield strength.

Tin:- 1.2% to 1.7% of tin increases corrosion resistance by mitigating the

deleterious effect of nitrogen in deteriorating the corrosion resistance and
this also gives strength.

Iron Chromium and Nickel:- Improves corrosion resistance and strength

and creep resistance. Ni in zircaloy-2 material increases H pick up also.

Effect of alloying elements

Zr-Nb & Zr-Nb-Cu alloy

Niobium: In Zr-Nb coolant tubes Nb gives strength and it also improves

corrosion resistance, creep & growth resistance. Sn, Fe , Cr and Ni are
impurity elements.

Oxygen: Oxygen content is specified in the range of 900-1300 wppm, it

improves the strength.

Copper: Cu added to get surface hardness in garter springs.

Chemical compositions
Alloying elements (Wt%)
Elements

Zr-2

Zr-4

Zr-2.5% NbZr-2.5%Nb
0.5% Cu

Sn

1.2-1.7

1.2-1.7

---

---

Fe

0.07-0.20

0.18-0.24

---

---

Cr

0.05-0.15

0.07-0.13

---

---

Ni

0.03-0.08

---

---

---

Nb

---

---

2.4-2.8

2.4-2.8

Total Fe+Cr+Ni

0.18-0.38

---

---

---

Cu

---

---

---

0.3-0.7

1000-1400

1000-1400 900-1300

900-1300

Zr+ permitted
impurities

Balance

Balance

Balance

Balance

Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism

The initial hydrogen content of the pressure tube is kept as low as possible
by controlling the manufacturing process parameters
Hydrogen/deuterium evolved during service from metal water reaction

A Percentage of hydrogen/deuterium generated by above reaction is picked

up and absorbed by the Zirconium metal. Which is less (10-15%) in case of
Zr-2.5Nb.
In solid solution hydrogen occupies interstitial sites in zirconium lattice.
Later precipitation takes place as zirconium hydrides when hydrogen
content exceeds solubility limits

Diffusion of Hydrogen/ Deuterium and

DHC

Like any other species Hydrogen also have tendency to

migrate towards low chemical potential gradient

From low stress to high

stress region
HYDROGEN
MIGRATION

Hydride Precipitation
Texture effects

From high concentration to

low concentration region

From high temperature to

low temperature region

Stress and strain

effects

DHC
Perpendicular to Basel
Pole

Depends on type & level

Steels Commonly Used in NPPs

Carbon Steels ( C: 0.10 to 0.20 %)

(Pressure Vessels of PWR, BWR, Pipings of BWR -Primary
Pressure Boundary Piping)
A508, A533, SA333, A106

Low Alloy (Bainitic) Steels

(Some pipelines)
2.25Cr-1Mo (Grade P-22)

Ferritic(Martensitic) Stainless Steel

(End fittings in PHWRs)
AISI 403 (S40300)
(Creep Strength, Corrosion Resistance and Hardness)

Steels Commonly Used in NPPs

Austenitic Stainless Steels

(Good Strength +Ductility + Resistance to Corrosion at

High Temperatures)

- AISI 304
- AISI 316 (Mo content increase the halide corrosion

resistance)
AISI 304 L (Low Carbon, <0.03 %)
AISI 316 L (Low Carbon, <0.03 %)
AISI 304 LN (Low Carbon + Nitrogen)
AISI 316 LN (Low Carbon + Nitrogen)

Primary Coolant Pipeings of BWR : 304 SS

304 SS Susceptible for IGSCC
If IGSCC is to be Avoided : 304 L, 316 L
Stainless Steels are extensively used in FBRs

Materials Commonly Used in

Nuclear Plants
Steam Generator Tubing

LWR

: Inconel 600

(76% Ni, 15.5% Cr, 8% Fe, < 0.15% C)

PWR
PHWR

SCC Resistance

: Inconel 600
: Inconel 800

(33.5% Ni, 21.5% Cr, 44% Fe, < 0.03% C, < 0.6% Ti)

HTGR
PFBR
FBTR

: Alloy 800 H - Creep Resistance

: Mod. 9Cr-1Mo -Creep, SCC
: 2 1/4Cr-1Mo - Low Temp. <427 oC

Condenser

Admiralty Brass - Fresh water

Aluminum - Bronze
Aluminum - Brass (SB 261)
Cupro - Nickel (SB111, 251)

Sea Water Cooled

Condensers (Higher
Corrosion Resistance)

PWR/BWR RPV

RPV material operational requirements

Elevated Temperature operation

High Pressure
Neutron Irradiation
Good Impact properties and notch toughness
Resistant to Brittle Fracture
Low Transition Temperature (TT)
High Upper Self Energy (before & after)

RPV Material properties requirements

Strength
Notch toughness
Fracture toughness
Weldability
High resistance to neutron irradiation
Corrosion resistance

> Low alloy steel (SA-508Cl.2 &Cl.3, SA-533Gr.B,

20MnMoNi55, 15X2HMA, 15X2HMA-A)

FUEL STRUCTURAL MATERIALS

Selection Criteria:

- Low neutron absorption cross section

- Adequate tensile strength
- Adequate creep strength
- Adequate ductility after irradiation
- Corrosion resistance

Materials:
Reactor

Reactor core/ cladding

BWR

Zircaloy-2 / Zircaloy-4

PWR

Zircaloy-4

PHWR

Zircaloy-2
Zr-2.5%Nb Alloy

Fracture Toughness
Kc Fracture toughness
Depends on

- Chemical composition
- type of stress (p-strain or p-stress)
- Temperature
- environment effect (1n0)

Plane strain static condition, KIc

Plane strain dynamic condition KId

Thickness Dependence of Fracture

Toughness

Plane Strain Fracture Toughness: A material property

(Independent of Thickness)

TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF
FRACTURE TOUGHNESS

Ductile and Brittle Fracture

Brittle
- Crack moves easily
- Plastic zone is very small
- very low energy requirement for growth
- material is influenced by a shallow depth & rest
remains unaffected
- cleavage type along a weak crystallographic
plane within a grain

Ductile and Brittle Fracture

Ductile
- Crack does not move easily
- plastic zone is large or very large
- very high energy requirement for growth
- substantial plastic deformation and creation of
micro-voids and voids
- ductile growth by coalescence of voids
- material is influenced by a bigger depth
- very rough fractured surface with tiny dimples

Ductile and Brittle Fracture

Ductile - Extensive
macroscopic plastic
deformation
(Dull appearance)

Brittle No observable
macroscopic plastic
deformation
(Shiny appearance)

Irradiation produced changes

Microstructure and micro-composition
change
Irradiation induced hardening
Irradiation damage
Irradiation creep
Ductility loss
Swelling

Structural integrity
The material fracture toughness ~ function
of operating environment
The mechanical and thermal stresses
experienced during normal operating and
severe accident transients
The size and potential growth of defects
postulated (or measured) to be present in
RPV structure

Effect of Irradiation on
Mechanical Properties

Radiation effect
YS UTS
YS/UTS
% Elongation
% Reduction in area

Stress-strain curve

Effect of irradiation on Stressstrain curve on Austenitic SS

Effect of irradiation on Stressstrain curve on Ferritic SS

Effect of irradiation on Charpy impact energy on Ferritic Steel

Charpy Impact Test

Ductile-brittle Transition temperature

Charpy Impact energy curve,

DBTT Shift and USE change
Charpy Impact energy curve and DBTT

References
1. Bajaj S S and Gore A R, The Indian PHWR, Nuclear Engineering and
Design 236 (2006) 701722.
2. Seth V K, Design Features of Reactor Assembly and Structures of Indian
500 MWe PHWR Stations, Nuclear Engineering and Design 109 (1988)
163-169
3. Sharma R K, Bhachawat D, Ingole S M and Chhatre A G, Safety
Assessment of K-11 Pressure Tube of Kaiga-2 Reactor for the observed
Flaw during ISI-2010 SMiRT-21, Div.II Paper ID-720.
4. Nu-Power, An International Journal of Nuclear Power, Vol.25 (1-2), 2012.
5. Puls M P, Assessment of Aging of Zr-2.5Nb Pressure Tubes in CANDU
Reactors, Nuclear Engineering and Design 171 (1997) 137 148
6. Delayed Hydride Cracking in Zirconium Alloys in Pressure Tube Nuclear
Reactors, IAEA-TECDOC-1410, October 2004.
7. Krishnan R and Asundi M K, Zirconium Alloys in Nuclear Technology,
Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Engg. Sci.) 4 (1981) 41-56.

Thank you