Magnetic evaluation of irradiation hardening in A533B reactor pressure vessel steels: Magnetic hysteresis measurements and the model analysis

We report results of measurements of magnetic minor hysteresis loops for neutron-irradiated A533B nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels varying alloy composition and irradiation condition. A minor-loop coefficient, which is obtained from a scaling power law between minor-loop parameters exhibits a steep decrease just after irradiation, followed by a maximum in the intermediate fluence regime for most alloys. A model analysis assuming Avrami-type growth for Cu-rich precipitates and an empirical logarithmic law for relaxation of residual stress demonstrates that an increment of the coefficient due to Cu-rich precipitates increases with Cu and Ni contents and is in proportion to a yield stress change, which is related to irradiation hardening.