PNNL

Abstract

A research program on primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) is being conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In this program, the material degradation problem in Alloys 600, 182 and 82 is being investigated, with objectives that include compiling a knowledge base on all cracking in nickel-base materials at all degradation sites in nuclear power plants, assessing nondestructive evaluation methods using mockups to quantify the detection, sizing, and characterization of tight cracks, determining the role of material parameters, such as welding processes, in the degradation. This work is being conducted as a part of an international cooperative research project that has been set up to leverage efforts in several countries to address a significant and common problem. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is leading this cooperative project to address this generic problem in a systematic manner over the next four years. In this paper, published information on the failure history of Alloys 600, 182, and 82 is compiled and presented. The configurations of the welded assemblies that contain these alloys are shown to be important considerations for NDE reliability measurements. The product forms and the welding processes represented in the degraded components are described. The relevant data on crack morphology parameters such as shape and orientation are presented, and their impact on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) reliability is discussed.