Creep and Creep-Fatigue Crack Growth Mechanisms in Alloy 709

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Predicting crack growth lives of components that are subject to long times under stress in complex operating cycles and environments is one essential element in underpinning any proposed flaw evaluation procedure for both next generation advanced nuclear reactors and for the extension of life of existing reactors (such as the UK fleet of Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors, AGRs). The proposed research will contribute to the scientific understanding of mechanisms of creep-crack growth, creep-fatigue crack growth and dwell-fatigue crack growth in a specific stainless steel alloy. Flaw evaluation procedures in future nuclear reactors can then be based with more confidence on models of materials' behaviour underpinned by increased physical understanding. In particular the study will address how results obtained from accelerated tests can be applied appropriately to predict flaw extension behaviour under envisaged operating conditions (over a design lifetime of sixty years).