Effect of Prior Irradiation Creep on the Subsequent Burst Strength of 20% Cold-Worked Type 316 Stainless-Steel Cladding

Creep rates of metals can be greatly enhanced by neutron irradiation experienced in a fast reactor en vironment. Because irradiation-induced creep strains can be large in magnitude for duct and cladding components, the effect of irradiation creep on subsequent mechanical property behavior must be quantified to provide a design base for core component performance assessment. Pressurized tubes that had sustained a peak value of irradiation creep strain of 1.04% and peak fast fluences of 10 X 10²² n/cm² under irradiation in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II from 650 to 857 K were tested in subsequent transient burst loading. Results of testing show that subsequent deformation, is unaffected by prior irradiation creep within experimental error.