RADIATION-INDUCED SENSITIZATION OF A TITANIUM-MODIFIED AUSTENITIC STAINLESS-STEEL IRRADIATED IN A SPECTRAL-TAILORED EXPERIMENT AT 60-DEGREES-C-400-DEGREES-C

The radiation-induced sensitization of a titanium-modified austenitic stainless steel (PCA) irradiated at 60 to 400-degrees-C to 7 dpa in a spectral-tailored experiment was investigated by the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) test technique using miniaturized specimens. The reactivation charge of PCA was increased by irradiation at 200 to 400-degrees-C, as compared to unirradiated control specimens. The occurrence of grain boundary sensitization was detected for the specimen irradiated at 400-degrees-C, but not detected for the specimens irradiated at the lower temperatures. Localized attack across grain faces was observed after EPR testing for the specimens irradiated at 200 to 400-degrees-C. The attack may be attributed to the occurrence of localized chromium depletion by RIS to matrix defect sinks. The reactivation behavior of PCA was not affected by the irradiation at 60-degrees-C.