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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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No impact from Savannah River radioactive wasps
The news is abuzz with recent news stories about four radioactive wasp nests found at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The site has been undergoing cleanup operations since the 1990s related to the production of plutonium and tritium for defense purposes during the Cold War. Cleanup activities are expected to continue into the 2060s.
Sung Sik Kang, In Sup Kim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 97 | Number 3 | March 1992 | Pages 336-343
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34641
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effect of dynamic strain aging (DSA) on fracture is investigated on the quenched and tempered specimens of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard SA508 class 3 nuclear pressure vessel steel. Serrated flow by DSA is observed between 180 and 340°C at a tensile strain rate of 2.08 × 10−4/s and 1.25 × 10−3/s. The DSA causes a sharp rise in the ultimate tensile strength and a marked decrease in ductility. The DSA range shifts to higher temperatures with increased strain rates. The temperature and strain rate dependence of the onset of serrations yields an activation energy of 16.2 kcal/mol, which suggests that the process is controlled by interstitial diffusion of carbon and nitrogen in ferrite. The Ji value obtained from the direct current potential drop (DCPD) method, for true crack initiation, is lowered by DSA. The drop in Ji at elevated temperatures may be because of the interaction of the interstitial impurities with dislocations at the crack front. Compared with JIC from American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard E813, the Ji by DCPD is a better parameter to use to detect the DSA effect on fracture toughness. Crack propagation is also affected in terms of the tearing modulus. The tearing modulus in dynamic strain aging is ∼30% smaller than that at room temperature.