1、Designation: E531 13Standard Practice forSurveillance Testing of High-Temperature NuclearComponent Materials1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E531; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last
2、 revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1. Scope1.1 This practice covers procedures for specimen testing toestablish changes occurring in the mechanical properties due toirra
3、diation and thermal effects of nuclear component metallicmaterials where these materials are used for high temperatureapplications above 370C (700F).1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard. The values given in parentheses are for informationonly.2. Referenced Documents2.1
4、 ASTM Standards:2A370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testingof Steel ProductsE3 Guide for Preparation of Metallographic SpecimensE8/E8M Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Ma-terialsE21 Test Methods for Elevated Temperature Tension Tests ofMetallic MaterialsE23 Test Methods for
5、 Notched Bar Impact Testing of Me-tallic MaterialsE29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data toDetermine Conformance with SpecificationsE45 Test Methods for Determining the Inclusion Content ofSteelE112 Test Methods for Determining Average Grain SizeE139 Test Methods for Conducting Creep
6、, Creep-Rupture,and Stress-Rupture Tests of Metallic MaterialsE185 Practice for Design of Surveillance Programs forLight-Water Moderated Nuclear Power Reactor VesselsE261 Practice for Determining Neutron Fluence, FluenceRate, and Spectra by Radioactivation TechniquesE453 Practice for Examination of
7、Fuel Element CladdingIncluding the Determination of the Mechanical PropertiesE468 Practice for Presentation of Constant Amplitude Fa-tigue Test Results for Metallic MaterialsE482 Guide for Application of Neutron Transport Methodsfor Reactor Vessel Surveillance, E706 (IID)E606 Practice for Strain-Con
8、trolled Fatigue TestingE647 Test Method for Measurement of Fatigue CrackGrowth RatesE844 Guide for Sensor Set Design and Irradiation forReactor Surveillance, E 706 (IIC)E1823 Terminology Relating to Fatigue and Fracture TestingE2006 Guide for Benchmark Testing of Light Water ReactorCalculationsE2215
9、 Practice for Evaluation of Surveillance Capsulesfrom Light-Water Moderated Nuclear Power Reactor Ves-sels3. Terminology3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.1.1 test specimena coupon or a piece of metal cut froma larger metal piece which is then machined to final size fortesting to d
10、etermine physical or mechanical properties.4. Significance and Use4.1 The requirements contained herein can be used as abasis for establishing conditions for safe operation of criticalcomponents. The requirements provide for general plant as-sessment and verification that materials meet design crite
11、ria.The test specimens and procedures presented in this practiceare for guidance when establishing a surveillance program.4.2 This practice for high-temperature materials surveil-lance programs is used when nuclear reactor componentmaterials are monitored by specimen testing. Periodic testing isperf
12、ormed through the service life of the components to assesschanges in selected material properties that are caused byneutron irradiation and thermal effects. The properties are thoseused as design criteria for the respective nuclear components.The extent of material property change caused by neutroni
13、rradiation depends on the composition and structure of theinitial material, its conditioning in component fabrication, aswell as the nature of the irradiation exposure. The need for1This recommended practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E10on Nuclear Technology and Applicationsand is
14、the direct responsibility of Subcom-mittee E10.02 on Behavior and Use of Nuclear Structural Materials.Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2013. Published January 2013. Originallyapproved in 1975. Last previous edition approved in 2007 as E53176(2007). DOI:10.1520/E0531-13.2For referenced ASTM standards
15、, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 194
16、28-2959. United States1surveillance arises from a concern of specific material behaviorunder all irradiation conditions including spectrum and rateeffects on material properties.5. Test Specimens5.1 Pre-Exposure Material CharacterizationIt is impor-tant that test specimen materials be characterized
17、prior toexposure and that the following should be considered as aminimum:5.1.1 Process history, material designation, manufacturer,heat number, weld and fabrication procedures used, and heattreatment,5.1.2 Original location and orientation in the parentmaterial,5.1.3 Specimen weight and dimensions,5
18、.1.4 Metallographic characteristics (grain size,microstructure, and inclusion content established in accordancewith Test Methods E45 and E112),5.1.5 Chemical analysis results,5.1.6 All specimens shall be taken from the specifiedlocation and orientation specified in Test Methods and Defini-tions A370
19、 and Test Methods E8/E8M, and5.1.7 Mechanical properties including yield strength, tensilestrength, stress rupture life, creep strength, fatigue strength,and impact strength as a function of test temperature.5.1.8 The information described in 5.1.1-5.1.7 should bereported in a single document.5.2 Po
20、st Exposure Material CharacterizationAfterexposure, the following should be reported:5.2.1 Observations from visual examination,5.2.2 Changes in specimen weight and dimensions,5.2.3 Metallographic characteristics (grain size,microstructure, and inclusion content),5.2.4 Results of chemical analysis,5
21、.2.5 Appropriate mechanical properties being assessed in-cluding considerations of changes in tensile strength, stress-to-rupture strength, creep strength, fatigue strength, impactstrength (control tests are recommended to be performedsimultaneously with the tests of exposed specimens to ensurethat
22、deviations in test results can be attributed to the exposedspecimens environment and not to variations in testingmethods), and5.2.6 Optional quantitative examination of surface chemis-try and subsequent changes.5.2.7 Exposed test specimens should be cleaned in accor-dance with accepted cleaning proc
23、edures. (Refer to Subcom-mittee G01.08 for practices for preparing, cleaning, and evalu-ating test specimens.)5.3 Specimen PreparationTest specimens shall be stan-dard recommended specimens where possible as described inTest Methods E8/E8M, E21 and E23 and Practice E139. Theuse of the word specimen
24、or words test specimen as used in thispractice is described in Section 3.5.3.1 The test area of a specimen (for example, Charpynotch, reduced section of a fatigue specimen) may be leftunfinished if further environmental exposure prior to testing isanticipated.5.3.2 SizeIn general, due to the limited
25、 space available insurveillance capsules the smaller sizes of test specimens arerecommended. Where it is not possible to use specimens of therecommended size, the least deviation possible from recom-mended sizes should be adhered to. Non-standard specimensshall be evaluated prior to use as surveilla
26、nce specimens toensure that test results from the use of non-standard specimenscan be correlated with test results from specimens of recom-mended size. In the event that non-standard specimens are usedfor surveillance specimens, the archive, base line, and thermalcontrol specimens shall be identical
27、 to the surveillance speci-mens.5.3.3 Surface ConditionTest specimens where surfacecondition is critical to the test results should not be finishmachined in such critical areas (Charpy notch, fatigue speci-men test area, surface of density change sample) until just priorto test. Specimens should be
28、oversized to allow for removal ofat least 0.1 mm (0.004 in.) of surface prior to test. Wherepossible, test specimens with the exception of weight changespecimens shall be encapsulated in an inert environment so asto determine only the effect of neutron irradiation and tempera-ture on mechanical or p
29、hysical properties. It is recognized theintegrity of the encapsulation may be breached in some casesduring long exposure and an allowance for final machiningeven of the encapsulated specimens should be considered. Thiswill ensure a meaningful comparison between baseline andexposed specimens.5.3.4 Nu
30、mber of SpecimensThe number of specimensemployed for mechanical property testing should be selected soas to include each critical component that varies significantly incomposition, processing, or in exposure conditions from simi-lar components. Specific recommendations as to the number ofspecimens w
31、ill be found in the respective specimen sections.At least four sets of specimens shall be included in eachsurveillance program.5.3.5 MaterialTest specimens shall be taken from thematerial used in component fabrication. The material shall beprocessed at the same time as the component or processed in
32、afashion identical to the component investigated. Weld andheat-affected zone test specimens shall be taken from equiva-lent material welded at the same time as the particularcomponent or equivalent material welded with the samewelding parameters. It is not necessary to include each heat orminor vari
33、ation, but only to select those receiving the highestexposure or those previously found to be most sensitive toneutron irradiation and temperature or those that can restrictthe operation of the reactor. Test specimens may be taken fromcomponents periodically removed from the reactor for otherreasons
34、. These specimens can be used to provide supplementalsurveillance information. For this information to be meaningfula full characterization of the pre-exposure condition must beavailable along with measured exposure conditions.5.4 Tension Test SpecimensThe type and size of specimento be used shall c
35、onform to the smaller sizes as recommendedin Test Methods E8/E8M and E21. Either threaded or button-head ends will be acceptable. For plate or sheet specimens, pinends as described in Test Methods E8/E8M are recommended.The location and orientation of test specimens shall be asE531 132defined in Tes
36、t Methods E8/E8M or Test Methods and Defini-tions A370, or in Practice E185. Both base metal and weldmetal specimens will be taken.Aset of tension specimens shallconsist of three of each base metal and weld metal.5.5 Creep and Stress-Rupture in SpecimensThe type andsize of specimen to be used shall
37、be the same as those used fortension specimens except that button-head or pinned-endspecimens are recommended for high-temperature testing.Practice E453 describes the attention that must be paid tospecimen alignment and dimensional tolerances. One set oftests shall be conducted at the operating temp
38、erature of thecomponent of interest. A set shall comprise a minimum of sixstress rupture tests at six different stress levels. The stresslevels should be selected so that the time-to-rupture rangesfrom not less than 100 h to at least 3000 h. Creep strainmeasurements may be made if desired.5.6 Low-Cy
39、cle Fatigue SpecimensFor base metal the typeand size of specimen to be used may be the “hourglass” typewith threaded or button-head ends as shown in Fig. 1. For weldmetal specimens the uniform gage type may be used. Machin-ing and polishing of the test specimens shall be performed withcare so as to
40、minimize the effects of specimen preparation onfatigue life. In the final stages of machining, material shall beremoved in the radial thickness by amounts of 0.2 mm (0.008in.) until 0.1 mm (0.004 in.) remains. After exposure the final0.075 mm (0.003 in.) shall be removed by cylindrical grindingat no
41、 more than 0.005 mm (0.002 in.) per pass. The final 0.025mm (0.001 in.) shall be buffed and finished with an 0.2 m Ra(8 in. AA) surface roughness. After polishing, all remaininggrinding and polishing marks shall be longitudinal and anycircumferential grinding marks shall be removed. The finishedspec
42、imens shall be degreased in suitable solvent. Specimens tobe exposed to liquid sodium shall not be degreased in haloge-nated solvents. If surface observations are to be made, the testspecimen may be electropolished in accordance with MethodsE3. Test specimens that are susceptible to corrosion in roo
43、m-temperature air shall be stored as soon as practicable afterpreparation in an inert dry gas or vacuum. A set of specimensshall consist of ten each of base metal and weld metal.5.7 Swelling SpecimensThe swelling specimens shall beright circular cylinders 5.0 mm (0.2 in.) diameter and 10.0 mm(0.4 in
44、.) long. The sharp-cornered specimens shall be finishedby turning or grinding and have a surface finish of 0.2 m Ra(8 in. AA). The specimens shall be degreased in suitablesolvent and stored in an inert gas or vacuum.5.8 Charpy Impact SpecimensThe specimens to be usedshall conform to the Charpy V-not
45、ch specimens recommendedin Test Methods E23. The notch shall not be machined prior toNOTE 1A = 0.2 m Ra(8 min AA).Metric Conversionmm in.0.3 0.016.35 0.2508.4 0.3312.68 0.49912.70 0.50019.1 0.7538.1 1.582.6 3.25FIG. 1 Standard Hourglass Low Cycle Fatigue Specimen (Threaded Ends (a) and Button Head (
46、b)E531 133exposure as a surveillance specimen. The location and orien-tation of test specimens shall be as defined in Practice E185and Test Methods and Definitions A370. A set of specimensshall be made up of twelve each of base metal, heat-affectedzone, and weld metal.6. Irradiation Conditions6.1 In
47、troductionThe intent of the section on irradiationconditions is to provide guidance on how to place surveillancesamples to obtain the desired irradiation conditions in terms oftemperature, neutron flux, and neutron spectrum to ensure arealistic evaluation of the component that the surveillancespecim
48、en is representing.6.2 Irradiation TemperatureIt is very important that ad-equate consideration be given to test specimens to ensure thatthey experience the correct temperature during irradiation.Temperature must be controlled for the surveillance specimensto match as nearly as possible the temperat
49、ure of the compo-nent being surveyed. When temperature variations arise be-cause of separation of the surveillance specimens from thecomponent, additional specimens should be included in otherpositions which will cover a temperature range including thecomponent operating temperature. The irradiation temperatureshall be given and the method for determination shall bedocumented.6.3 Flux and Spectrum:6.3.1 The size of certain reactor components may introduceirradiation conditions that cover a wide range of neutron fluxesand spectra. Accordingly, surveillance i
