Mechanical properties of the European reference RAFM steel (EUROFER97) before and after irradiation at 300 °C

• Published in: Journal of nuclear materials 2004-08, Vol.329, p.1078-1082
• Main Authors: Lucon, Enrico, Chaouadi, Rachid, Decréton, Marc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-3115; 1873-4820
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2004.04.023

EUROFER97 is the European candidate RAFM steel for use as a structural material in fusion energy systems. It is presently under investigation by several European laboratories, within the long term programme of EFDA (European Fusion Development Agreement). This paper presents the outcome of the mechanical characterization of this steel that has been carried out at SCK • CEN (Belgian Center for Nuclear Studies), in the unirradiated condition and after irradiation during three different campaigns in the BR2 reactor (300 °C, doses between 0.3 and 1.6 dpa). Tensile, Charpy impact, and fracture toughness specimens have been irradiated and tested, in order to obtain an experimental assessment of the main effects of neutron exposure on tensile and toughness properties; namely, irradiation hardening (increase of mechanical resistance and loss of ductility) and irradiation embrittlement (shift of ductile-to-brittle transition temperature and degradation of upper shelf energy). Comparisons with another well-known IEA reference RAFM steel, F82H, are provided.