Electrical Discharge Machining Techniques for Evaluating the Effects of Tritium on Materials

IMRICH, KENNETH

Savannah River Site (S.C.)

关键词: Tensile Properties;    Machining;    Sample Preparation;    Materials Testing;    Tritium;   

DOI  :  10.2172/822343
RP-ID  :  WSRC-TR-2003-00490
RP-ID  :  AC09-96SR18500
RP-ID  :  822343

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

In this investigation, new ways to evaluate the long-term effects of tritium on the structural properties of components were developed. Electric discharge machining (EDM) techniques for cutting tensile and fracture toughness samples from the tritium-exposed regions of returned reservoirs were demonstrated. An existing electric discharge machine was used to cut sub-size tensile and fracture toughness samples from the inside walls of reservoir mock-ups. Tensile properties from the EDM tensile samples were similar to those measured using full-size samples cut from similar stock. Although the existing equipment could not be used for machining tritium-exposed hardware, off-the-shelf EDM units are available that could. With the right equipment and the required radiological controls in place, similar machining and testing techniques could be used to directly measure the effects of tritium on the properties of material cut from reservoir returns. Stress-strain property data from tritium-exposed reservoirs would improve finite-element modeling of reservoir performance because the data are representative of the true state of the reservoir material in the field. Tensile data from samples cut directly from reservoirs complement existing shelf storage and burst test data of the Life Storage Program and help answer questions about a specific reservoir's processing history and properties.