Properties of copper-stainless steel HIP joints before and after neutron irradiation

The tensile and fracture behaviour of CuCrZr and CuAl25 IG0 alloys joint to 316L(N) stainless steel by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) have been determined in unirradiated and neutron-irradiated conditions. The tensile and fracture behaviour of copper alloy HIP joint specimens are dominated by the properties of the copper alloys, and particularly, by the strength mismatch and mismatch in strain hardening capacities between copper alloys and stainless steel. The test temperature, neutron irradiation and thermal cycles primarily affect the copper alloy HIP joint properties through changing the strength mismatch between the base alloys. Changes in the loading conditions i.e. tensile, bend (JI) and mixed-mode bend (J(I)/J(II)) lead to different fracture modes in the copper alloy HIP joint specimens. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.