Stress Corrosion Cracking in Light Water Reactors

The average operating age of existing nuclear power plants is increasing and safety and performance of these ageing plants must be achieved by effectively managing material degradations within an acceptable level. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a significant material degradation for major components of both pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs), and is still an important outstanding technical issue. This publication provides general descriptions of degradation mechanisms of different types of SCC which are concerned with systems, structures and components in PWRs and BWRs. It includes examples of good practices in preventing, mitigating and repairing SCC damage and summarizes related national and international research and development programmes. Practical operational experience and practices in Member States are also presented in this overview.