Critical fracture stress and fracture strain models for the prediction of lower and upper shelf toughness in nuclear pressure vessel steels

Critical fracture stress and stress modified fracture strain models are utilized to describe the variation of lower and upper shelf fracture toughness with temperature and strain rate for two alloy steels used in the manufacture of nuclear pressure vessels, namely SA 533B-1 (HSST Plate 02) and SA 302B (Surveillance correlation heat). Both steels have been well characterized with regard to static and dynamic fracture toughness over a wide range of temperatures (-190 to 200°C), although valid J_Ic measurements at upper shelf temperatures are still somewhat scarce. The present work utilizes simple models for the relevant fracture micromechanisms and local failure criteria to predict these variations in toughness from uniaxial tensile properties. Procedures are discussed for modelling the influence of neutron fluence on toughness in irradiated steel, and predictions are derived for the effect of increasing fluence on the variation of lower shelf fracture toughness with temperature in SA 533B-1.