[en] Special fixtures and test methods have been developed for testing small disk compact specimens (1.25 mm diam by 4.6 mm thick). Specimens of European type 316L austenitic stainless steel were irradiated to damage levels of about 3 dpa at nominal irradiation temperatures of either 90 or 250 C and tested over a temperature range from 20 to 250 C. Results show that irradiation to this dose level at these temperatures reduces the fracture toughness but the toughness remains quite high. The toughness decreases as the test temperature increases. Irradiation at 250 C is more damaging than at 90 C, causing larger decreases in the fracture toughness. The testing shows that it is possible to generate useful fracture toughness data with a small disk compact specimens

[en] The 183-D Water Treatment Facility (WTF) discharges effluent to the 120-0-1 Ponds (100-D Ponds) located north of the 100-D Area perimeter fence. This report satisfies one of the requirements of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-17-00B as agreed by the US Department of Energy, Washington State Department of Ecology, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Tri-Party Agreement Milestone M-17-00B includes a requirement to assess impacts to groundwater from disposal of the 183-D WTF effluent to the 100-D Ponds. In addition, the 100-D Ponds are a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 treatment, storage, and disposal facility covered by the 100-D Ponds Closure Plan (DOE-RL 1993a). There is evidence of groundwater contamination, primarily nitrate, tritium, and chromium, in the unconfined aquifer beneath the 100-D Area and 100 Areas in general. The contaminant plumes are area wide and are a result of past-practice reactor and disposal operations in the 100-D Area currently being investigated as part of the 100-DR-1 and 100-HR-3 Operable Units (DOE-RL 1992b, 1992a). Based on current effluent conditions, continued operation of the 100-D Ponds will not adversely affect the groundwater quality in the 100-D Area. Monitoring wells near the pond have slightly higher alkaline pH values than wells in the rest of the area. Concentrations of known contaminants in these wells are lower than ambient 100-D Area groundwater conditions and exhibit a localized dilution effect associated with discharges to the pond. Hydraulic impact to the local groundwater system from these discharges is minor. The groundwater monitoring well network for the 100-D Ponds is adequate

[en] Materials for the construction of cold neutron sources must satisfy a range of demands. The cryogenic temperature and irradiation create a severe environment. Candidate materials are identified and existing cold sources are briefly surveyed to determine which materials may be used. Aluminum- and magnesium-based alloys are the preferred materials. Existing data for the effects of cryogenic temperature and near-ambient irradiation on the mechanical properties of these alloys are briefly reviewed, and the very limited information on the effects of cryogenic irradiation are outlined. Generating mechanical property data under cold source operating conditions is a daunting prospect. It is clear that the cold source material will be degraded by neutron irradiation, and so the cold source must be designed as a brittle vessel. The continued effective operation of many different cold sources at a number of reactors makes it clear that this can be accomplished. 46 refs., 8 figs., 2 tab

[en] Special fixtures and test methods have been developed for testing small disk compact specimens (12.5 mm diam by 4.6 mm thick). Both unloading compliance and potential drop methods have been used to monitor crack extension during the J-integral resistance (J-R) curve testing. Provisions have been made to allow the necessary probes and instrumentation to be installed remotely using manipulators for testing of irradiated specimens in a hat cell. Laboratory trials showed that both unloading compliance and potential drop gave useful results. Both techniques gave similar data, and predicted the final crack extension within allowable limits. The results from the small disk compact specimens were similar to results from conventional compact specimens 12.7-mm thick. However, the slopes of the J-R curves from the larger specimens were lower, suggesting that the smaller disk compact specimens may have lost some constraint due to their size. The testing shows that it should be possible to generate useful J-R curve fracture toughness data from the small disk compact specimens

[en] Critical components of the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) reactor, to be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), will be fabricated from 6061-T651 aluminum alloy. This alloy has been selected for its favorable neutronic, thermal, and mechanical properties. The effect of irradiation on the tensile properties and fracture toughness has been studied to allow the lifetime of these components to be estimated. Irradiations were carried out in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at ORNL at a temperature of approximately 95 degree C to a fluence of approximately 10²⁶ m^-2 (thermal). Testing was conducted from room temperature to 150 degree C. The yield and ultimate tensile strengths were increased by irradiation, and the total elongation decreased, but the fracture toughness at 26 and 95 degree C was not degraded by irradiation, and decreased only slightly at 150 degree C

[en] Non-classical bainite microstructures can develop during continuous cooling of low-carbon alloy steels. These differ from classical upper and lower bainite developed by isothermal transformation. Two non-classical bainite microstructures were produced in a 3Cr-1.5Mo0.25V-0.lC steel using different cooling rates after austenitizing--water quenching and air cooling. The carbide-free acicular bainite formed in the quenched steel had a lower ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) than the granular bainite formed in the air-cooled steel. With increasing tempering parameter (defined bv tempering time and temperature), the DBTT of both decreased and approached a common value, although the final value occurred at a much lower tempering parameter for the quenched steel than for the air-cooled steel. The upper-shelf enery was similarly affected by microstructure. These observations along with similar observations in two Cr-W steels indicate that control of the bainite microstructure can be used to optimize strength and toughness

[en] In 1943 the Hanford Site was chosen as a location for the Manhattan Project to produce plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. The 100-N Area at Hanford was used from 1963 to 1987 for a dual-purpose, plutonium production and steam generation reactor and related operational support facilities (Diediker and Hall 1987). In November 1989, the reactor was put into dry layup status. During operations, chemical and radioactive wastes were released into the area soil, air, and groundwater. The 1325-N LWDF was constructed in 1983 to replace the 1301-N Liquid Waste Disposal Facility (1301-N LWDF). The two facilities operated simultaneously from 1983 to 1985. The 1301-N LWDF was retired from use in 1985 and the 1325-N LWDF continued operation until April 1991, when active discharges to the facility ceased. Effluent discharge to the piping system has been controlled by administrative means. This report discusses ground water contamination resulting from the 1325-N Liquid Waste Disposal facility

[en] Ferritic/martensitic steels such as the conventional 9Cr-1MoVNb (Fe-9Cr-1Mo-0.25V-0.06Nb-0.1C) and 12Cr-1MoVW (Fe-12Cr-1Mo-0.25V-0.5W-0.5Ni-0.2C) steels have been considered potential structural materials for future fusion power plants. The major obstacle to their use is embrittlement caused by neutron irradiation. Observations on this irradiation embrittlement will be reviewed. Below 425-450 degrees C, neutron irradiation hardens the steels. Hardening reduces ductility, but the major effect is an increase in the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and a decrease in the upper-shelf energy, as measured by a Charpy impact test. After irradiation, DBTT values can increase to well above room temperature, thus increasing the chances of brittle rather than ductile fracture. In addition to irradiation hardening, neutrons from the fusion reaction will produce large amounts of helium in the steels used to construct fusion power plant components. Tests to simulate the fusion environment indicate that helium can also affect the toughness. Steels are being developed for fusion applications that have a low DBTT prior to irradiation and then show only a small shift after irradiation. A martensitic 9Cr-2WVTa (nominally Fe-9Cr-2W-0.25V-0.07Ta-0.1C) steel had a much lower DBTT than the conventional 9Cr-1MoVNb steel prior to neutron irradiation and showed a much smaller increase in DBTT after irradiation. 27 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

[en] Full-size , half-size, and third-size specimens from several different steels have been tested as part of an ongoing alloy development program. The smaller specimens permit more specimens to be made from small trail heats and are much more efficient for irradiation experiments. The results of several comparisons between the different specimen sizes have shown that the smaller specimens show qualitatively similar behavior to large specimens, although the upper-shelf energy level and ductile-to-ductile transition temperature are reduced. The upper-shelf energy levels from different specimen sizes can be compared by using a simple volume normalization method. The effect of specimen size and geometry on the ductile-to-ductile transition temperature is more difficult to predict, although the available data suggest a simple shift in the transition temperature due to specimen size changes.The relatively shallower notch used in smaller specimens alters the deformation pattern, and permits yielding to spread back to the notched surface as well as through to the back. This reduces the constraint and the peak stresses, and thus the initiation of cleavage is more difficult. A better understanding of the stress and strain distributions is needed. 19 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

[en] Tensile and Charpy impact tests were made on three normalized-and-temperated 2 1/4Cr-2WV (0.1% C) steels with 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% V (all concentrations are in weight percent). Increasing vanadium from 0.1 to 0.25% increased the yield stress up to twenty percent. A higher ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) accompanied the higher strength of the 0.25% V steel when both were tempered at 700 degrees C. Tempering at 750 degrees C gave similar DBTTs. Increasing vanadium from 0.25 to 0.5% caused a slight increase in strength with a large decrease in toughness. Thus, a balance between strength and impact toughness is achieved with an intermediate vanadium concentration. Addition of 0.02% Ti to 2 1/4Cr-0.25 V, 2 1/4Cr-2W, and 2 1/4Cr-2W-0.25V (0.1% C) steels caused a yield stress decrease of 10 to 30%, which was attributed to the effect of titanium on the MC precipitate distribution. The strength loss was accompanied by an increase in impact toughness, which may also have been affected by a decrease in prior austenite grain size. Furthermore, there was little difference in the DBTT of the Ti-modified steels tempered at 700 or 750 degrees C. if it were possible to use a Ti-modified steel tempered at 700 degrees C, this might offset the strength advantage of steels without titanium, which have to be tempered at the higher temperature