Radiation thermal processes in Cr13Mo2NbVB steel - the material of the fuel assembly shell in reactor BN-350 under mechanical tests

Abstract

Regularities of changes of structural-phase state and mechanical properties of steel 13Mo2NbVB - the material of the fuel assembly shell in reactor BN-350 after various mechanical tests at 350°C are experimentally studied. The formation of microprecipitations FeMo, enriched or depleted with molybdenum was found in the short-time mechanical tests, which is the cause of thermal hardening of irradiated Cr13Mo2NbVB steel and its destruction by the ductile-brittle mechanism. On the basis of long-time creep tests it was shown that the material of the spent fuel assembly shell has sufficient resource for long-time storage in the temperature and force conditions simulating long-time storage of spent nuclear fuel.