High-temperature strength of modified type 316 steel for fast reactor fuel before and after neutron irradiation

Miyazawa, Takeshi   ; Uwaba, Tomoyuki ; Yano, Yasuhide  ; Tanno, Takashi  ; Otsuka, Satoshi   ; Onizawa, Takashi  ; Ando, Masanori ; Kaito, Takeji 

For the purpose of enhancing the reliability of fast reactor fuel designing using modified type 316 steel, the out-of-pile and in-pile mechanical data of modified type 316 steel cladding tubes and wrapper tubes were statistically analyzed with the knowledge on material science and engineering; the high-temperature strength equations of modified type 316 steel, which can be applied to high-dose neutron irradiation environment, were derived. The out-of-pile high-temperature tensile and creep data of modified type 316 steel cladding tubes and wrapper tubes were derived up to 900C, which is higher than the upper limit temperature of anticipated transient event of fast reactor. Using the extended database, the best-fit equation and the lower limit equation were derived for out-of-pile 0.2% proof strength, ultimate tensile strength and creep rupture strength while the best-fit equation and the upper and lower limit equations for creep strain. Furthermore, the degradation factors for tensile and creep strength, which will be produced by in-reactor environment (i.e., neutron irradiation in liquid sodium), were evaluated using the existing neutron irradiation data of modified type 316 steel, which were derived using the experimental fast reactor Joyo, the French proto-type fast reactor Phenix, the American experimental fast reactor FFTF. The derived equations were validated by the comparison with the experimental data.