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Low-temperature fracture mechanisms in a spheroidised reactor pressure vessel steel

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Abstract

The micromechanisms of fracture of a spheroidised A533B reactor pressure vessel steel over the temperature range of −190°C to + 60°C were investigated by performing uniaxial tensile tests on double-notched cylindrical specimens. Failure was by quasi-cleavage at temperatures between −190°C and −145°C. Quasi-cleavage fracture surfaces are characterised by clusters of planar facets that are separated from other facets either by large voids or by clusters of microvoids. At temperatures between −145°C and −25°C failure was by mixed microvoid coalescence and cleavage while complete microvoid coalescence was observed at temperatures higher than −25°C. Over the whole temperature range studied, fracture nucleation was either from large single voids or localised regions of microvoids.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK

    A. Kumar, S. G. Roberts & A. J. Wilkinson

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  1. A. Kumar
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  2. S. G. Roberts
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  3. A. J. Wilkinson
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Correspondence to A. Kumar.

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Kumar, A., Roberts, S.G. & Wilkinson, A.J. Low-temperature fracture mechanisms in a spheroidised reactor pressure vessel steel. Int J Fract 144, 121–129 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-007-9084-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-007-9084-3

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