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Review of small specimen test techniques for irradiation testing

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Abstract

Small specimen test technology has evolved out of the necessity to develop and monitor materials proposed for or used in nuclear power generation systems. Development of materials for improved cladding and in-core structures for fission reactors and assessment of core materials and pressure vessel steels already under irradiation necessitated the use of specimens which fit into existing irradiation space or which could be extracted from irradiated structures, such as cladding or ducts. Interest in simulating neutron irradiation by light and heavy ion irradiation led to the development of thin foil and wire geometry specimens. Further, interest in developing materials for fusion reactors has added additional constraints on specimen sizes associated with available irradiation volumes in existing and proposed high-energy neutron irradiation facilities. Consequently, a wide array of specimen geometries and test techniques has now been developed. It is the purpose of this paper to review these techniques and examine their status, problems, and potential for future applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106, Santa Barbara, CA

    G. E. Lucas (Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Materials)

  2. Department of Materials Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106, Santa Barbara, CA

    G. E. Lucas (Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Materials)

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This paper is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Irradiation-Enhanced Materials Science and Engineering” presented as part of the ASM INTERNATIONAL 75th Anniversary celebration at the 1988 World Materials Congress in Chicago, IL, September 25–29, 1988, under the auspices of the Nuclear Materials Committee of TMS-AIME and ASM-MSD.

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Lucas, G.E. Review of small specimen test techniques for irradiation testing. Metall Trans A 21, 1105–1119 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02698242

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