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Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
Vamsi Krishna K, Gopi Krishna C, Nagendra Polamarasetty, Mahesh Kumar Talari, Vijay N. Nadakuduru, Kishore Babu Nagumothu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 1 | January 2024 | Pages 82-97
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2200523
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the present study, the microstructural and mechanical properties of Ti-15V-3Cr-3Al-3Sn (Ti-1533) and Ti-6Al-4V (Ti-64) electron beam welds have been studied. Optical microscopy investigations revealed the presence of three different zones, namely, the fusion zone (FZ), the heat-affected zone (HAZ), and the base metal (BM). In Ti-1533 weld, the BM comprises equiaxed β grains while the FZ consists of large columnar β grains. Further, the HAZ constitutes coarse equiaxed β grains near the FZ. However, in the case of Ti-64 weld, the BM comprises a slightly elongated α phase and transformed β phase while the FZ consists of an acicular martensitic phase. Welds prepared with Ti-1533 exhibit a lower ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 726 ± 5 MPa, yield strength (YS) of 702 ± 5 MPa, and % elongation (%El) of 12 compared to its BM (YS: 738 ± 5 MPa; UTS: 778 ± 5 MPa; %El: 15). The lower strength in Ti-1533 weld is due to the presence of coarse columnar β grains in the FZ while Ti-64 weld exhibits superior tensile properties (UTS: 993 ± 5 MPa; YS: 959 ± 4 MPa; %El: 9) compared to its BM (UTS: 910 ± 5 MPa; YS: 856 ± 5 MPa; %El: 14). The higher strength for Ti-64 weld could be attributed to the formation of acicular martensitic α′ in the FZ. However, Ti-64 welds subjected to postweld heat treatment (PWHT) showed a decrease in strength (UTS: 922 ± 4 MPa; YS: 858 ± 4; %El: 12) compared to as-welded Ti-64 welds. This is attributed to the formation of the diffusional product α+β phase in the FZ. In contrast, Ti-1533 welds subjected to PWHT showed a rapid increase in tensile property (UTS: 1224 ± 6MPa; YS: 1205 ± 8; %El: 9) values and hardness (380 HV) values compared to as-welded Ti-1533 welds. This increase in strength after PWHT is due to uniform precipitation of alpha particles in the β matrix, which was evidenced by transmission electron microscope results.