Journal
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING A-STRUCTURAL MATERIALS PROPERTIES MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROCESSING
Volume 625, Issue -, Pages 65-80Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2014.11.056
Keywords
Nuclear steels; Pressuriser; Pressurised water reactor; Reactor pressure vessel; Structural integrity; Weld toughness
Categories
Funding
- University of Manchester
- UK EPSRC (Engineering and Physics Sciences Research Council) New Nuclear Manufacturing (NNUMAN) programme [EP/J021172/1]
- EPSRC [EP/J021172/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/J021172/1] Funding Source: researchfish
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SA508 steels are typically used in civil nuclear reactors for critical components such as the reactor pressure vessel. Nuclear components are commonly joined using arc welding processes, but with design lives for prospective new build projects exceeding 60 years, new welding technologies are being sought. In this exploratory study, for the first time, autogenous laser welding was carried out on 6 mm thick SA508 CI.3 steel sheets using a 16 kW fiber laser system operating at a power of 4 kW. The microstructure and mechanical properties (including microhardness, tensile strength, elongation, and Charpy impact toughness) were characterized and the microstructures were compared with those produced through arc welding. A three-dimensional transient model based on a moving volumetric heat source model was also developed to simulate the laser welding thermal cycles in order to estimate the cooling rates included by the process. Preliminary results suggest that the laser welding process can produce welds that are free of macroscopic defects, while the strength and toughness of the laser welded joint in this study matched the values that were obtained for the parent material in the as-welded condition. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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