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Swiss nuclear power and the case for long-term operation
Designed for 40 years but built to last far longer, Switzerland’s nuclear power plants have all entered long-term operation. Yet age alone says little about safety or performance. Through continuous upgrades, strict regulatory oversight, and extensive aging management, the country’s reactors are being prepared for decades of continued operation, in line with international practice.
D. R. Duncan, M. M. Paxton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 33 | Number 1 | April 1977 | Pages 112-119
Technical Note | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT77-A31769
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effects of compositional variations on the rupture life of 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel were investigated at 19-ksi (131-MPa) uniaxial tensile stress and at 1400°F (1033 K). Forty-nine different alloys were studied, with compositional variations from nominal in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, boron, manganese, copper, silicon, molybdenum, cobalt, chromium, and nickel. This alloy and cold-work level represents the duct and fuel cladding material choice for the first four core loadings of the Fast Flux Test Facility, a key element in the Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program. Tensile properties of four of the alloys were studied at temperatures from room temperature to 1600°F (1144 K). Boron, nitrogen, and molybdenum plus silicon additions significantly increased rupture life, while chromium and carbon additions decreased rupture life. Molybdenum plus silicon additions increased yield and ultimate strength and ductility at 1200°F (922 K) and below.