Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant
The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of WWER 440 steam generator steel GOST 22K after long-term operation were thoroughly examined in this study. The samples were taken directly from a steam generator using the small punch test method. The uniqueness of these samples lies in the f...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Metals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/667 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849705053110140928 |
|---|---|
| author | David Slnek Mária Dománková Marek Adamech Jana Petzová Katarína Bártová Marek Kudláč Matúš Gavalec |
| author_facet | David Slnek Mária Dománková Marek Adamech Jana Petzová Katarína Bártová Marek Kudláč Matúš Gavalec |
| author_sort | David Slnek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of WWER 440 steam generator steel GOST 22K after long-term operation were thoroughly examined in this study. The samples were taken directly from a steam generator using the small punch test method. The uniqueness of these samples lies in the fact that they were real operating materials used in a nuclear power plant with different years of operation. The microstructure was characterized using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy supplemented by selective electron diffraction and semi-quantitative chemical microanalysis. It was found that with the prolongation of the operation time of the steam generator, the density of carbides increased slightly, which was reflected in a decrease in the mean distance between particles, but these differences were very small, which indicates the microstructural stability of GOST 22K steel. The stability of this steel was also confirmed by measuring its mechanical properties, which changed only minimally depending on the years of operation. The tensile strength values were in the range of 508 to 579 MPa. In the case of the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), a slight increase was found after 6 years of operation. The DBTT did not change significantly with subsequent operation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ca330df543de456d9684d6c7fd50336c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4701 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metals |
| spelling | doaj-art-ca330df543de456d9684d6c7fd50336c2025-08-20T03:16:34ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012025-06-0115666710.3390/met15060667Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power PlantDavid Slnek0Mária Dománková1Marek Adamech2Jana Petzová3Katarína Bártová4Marek Kudláč5Matúš Gavalec6Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 811 07 Bratislava, SlovakiaFaculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 811 07 Bratislava, SlovakiaVUJE a.s., 918 64 Trnava, SlovakiaVUJE a.s., 918 64 Trnava, SlovakiaFaculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 811 07 Bratislava, SlovakiaFaculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 811 07 Bratislava, SlovakiaFaculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 811 07 Bratislava, SlovakiaThe microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of WWER 440 steam generator steel GOST 22K after long-term operation were thoroughly examined in this study. The samples were taken directly from a steam generator using the small punch test method. The uniqueness of these samples lies in the fact that they were real operating materials used in a nuclear power plant with different years of operation. The microstructure was characterized using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy supplemented by selective electron diffraction and semi-quantitative chemical microanalysis. It was found that with the prolongation of the operation time of the steam generator, the density of carbides increased slightly, which was reflected in a decrease in the mean distance between particles, but these differences were very small, which indicates the microstructural stability of GOST 22K steel. The stability of this steel was also confirmed by measuring its mechanical properties, which changed only minimally depending on the years of operation. The tensile strength values were in the range of 508 to 579 MPa. In the case of the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), a slight increase was found after 6 years of operation. The DBTT did not change significantly with subsequent operation.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/667long-term operationthermal agingsmall punch testnuclear power plantwater-water energetics reactor |
| spellingShingle | David Slnek Mária Dománková Marek Adamech Jana Petzová Katarína Bártová Marek Kudláč Matúš Gavalec Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant Metals long-term operation thermal aging small punch test nuclear power plant water-water energetics reactor |
| title | Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant |
| title_full | Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant |
| title_short | Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steam Generator Material After Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plant |
| title_sort | evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of steam generator material after long term operation in nuclear power plant |
| topic | long-term operation thermal aging small punch test nuclear power plant water-water energetics reactor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/667 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidslnek evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant AT mariadomankova evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant AT marekadamech evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant AT janapetzova evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant AT katarinabartova evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant AT marekkudlac evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant AT matusgavalec evolutionofmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesofsteamgeneratormaterialafterlongtermoperationinnuclearpowerplant |