DOE OSTI2022
This report documents work performed in fiscal year 2021 at SRNL in support of the Aging and Lifetimes program. This work is part of an on-going collaboration between SRNL and SNL to understand tritium embrittlement of structural metals used in Gas Transfer System reservoirs, thereby informing lifetime assessments and predictions. In this effort, test coupons are pre-charged with tritium and allowed to age in a freezer to minimize tritium diffusion and off-gassing while allowing for born-in helium levels to systematically increase. Coupons are then removed periodically and tested to develop an understanding of how mechanical properties degrade as helium levels increase. This report summarizes test results from coupons which are in various stages of aging as they were tritium pre-charged in previous years. Tests were performed on 304L that was previously tritium pre-charged and allowed to age to nominally 300 appm helium. Specimens from this study were previously tested at 100 appm nominal helium content, and this new test point expands that study. Tensile testing of these heat treated 304L tubes (and welded tubes) aged to 100 appm helium were completed which provided a unique study of a diverse set of microstructures and yield strengths ranging from 200-800 MPa. Additionally, 304L notched and smooth tensile specimens aged to 300 appm helium were tensile tested to predetermined strains to provide for a systematic microscopy investigation of aging effects on microstructural damage in partnership with SNL. Testing was performed on 304L electron beam (EB) weld coupons as well as 21-6-9 annealed coupons that were thermally pre-charged in 2020. Tests on the EB welds were completed at 100 appm helium contents, and tests on the annealed 21-6-9 material were completed at 100, 200, and 300 appm helium. Table 0-1 provides the status of the ongoing tritium coupon aging studies. The table includes the year tritium pre-charging took place, the material, and the targeted helium concentrations (appm) for testing.
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗