Assessment of the fracture toughness of neutron-irradiated nuclear graphite by 3D analysis of the crack displacement field

Digital volume correlation of in situ synchrotron X-ray computed tomographs has been used to measure the three-dimensional displacement fields around quasi-static propagating cracks in neutron irradiated and unirradiated graphite in specimens of the double cleavage drilled compression geometry. The crack tip location and crack opening were extracted from the displacement fields using a phase congruency edge detection method as cracks were propagated over similar to 5 mm. The cracks propagated in mode I, maintaining a constant crack opening angle that was similar to 50% smaller for the irradiated graphite. 3D finite element simulations, using the measured full field displacements as boundary conditions, obtained the critical elastic strain energy release rate for crack propagation by calculation of the domain contour J-integral. When the non-linear properties of unirradiated graphite were considered, the strain energy release rate for propagation was constant (180 +/- 22 Jm(-2)) with increasing crack length. The irradiated graphite (fluence of 19.7 x 10(20) neutrons cm(-2) or 2.6 dpa, 4% weight loss by radiolytic oxidation) had linear elastic properties, and the strain energy release rate for propagation increased linearly from 118 +/- 12Jm(-2) to 485 +/- 75 Jm(-2) with crack length. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Digital volume correlation was used to measure the three-dimensional displacement fields around quasi-static propagating cracks in neutron irradiated and unirradiated graphite in compression specimens. 3D finite element simulations obtained the critical elastic strain energy release rate for crack propagation, revealing differences in properties between irradiated and unirradiated graphite.