PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
DOE-HDBK-1017/1-93
Properties of Metal
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Material is selected for various applications in a reactor facility based on its
physical and chemical properties. This chapter discusses the physical properties
of material. Appendix A contains a discussion on the compatibility of tritium with
various materials.
EO 1.14
DEFINE the following terms:
a.
Strength
b.
Ultimate tensile
strength
c.
Yield strength
d.
Ductility
e.
Malleability
f.
Toughness
g.
Hardness
EO 1.15
IDENTIFY how slip effects the strength of a metal.
EO 1.16
DESCRIBE the effects on ductility caused by:
a.
Temperature changes
b.
Irradiation
c.
Cold working
EO 1.17
IDENTIFY the reactor plant application for which high
ductility is desirable.
Strength is the ability of a material to resist deformation. The strength of a component is
usually considered based on the maximum load that can be borne before failure is apparent. If
under simple tension the permanent deformation (plastic strain) that takes place in a component
before failure, the load-carrying capacity, at the instant of final rupture, will probably be less
than the maximum load supported at a lower strain because the load is being applied over a
significantly smaller cross-sectional area. Under simple compression, the load at fracture will
be the maximum applicable over a significantly enlarged area compared with the cross-sectional
area under no load.
This obscurity can be overcome by utilizing a nominal stress figure for tension and shear. This
is found by dividing the relevant maximum load by the original area of cross section of the
component. Thus, the strength of a material is the maximum nominal stress it can sustain. The
nominal stress is referred to in quoting the "strength" of a material and is always qualified by
the type of stress, such as tensile strength, compressive strength, or shear strength.
MS-02
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