Post-irradiation mechanical properties of BR2 irradiated cladding materials (Mol-1 and Mol-3)

A survey is given of the experiment series Mol-1 and Mol-3 and of the results of the post-irradiation examinations.IVIol-1 is an irradiation test carried out on tensile specimen in simple capsules up to about 8(f C and a fast fluence of about 5.10^^ n.cm'^.Mol-3 consists of tests on sheet metal samples at well-defined temperatures above 60(f C and a fast fluence of about J. tO^'^n.cm''^, with the main objective of measuring high temperature embrittlement.The materials irradiation programme for SNR-cladding, as far as it is carried out in the BR2 reactor, can be divided into two groups :1.The Mol-1 and 3 experiments, in which the influence of neutron irradiation on the post-irradiation mechanical properties is studied.2. The Mol-2 and 5 experiments, in which the creep and stress rupture behaviour during irradiation is investigated.Though irradiations in fast reactors like DFR and Rapsodie have become of increasing importance for studying high fluence effects such as void swelling, the BR2 irradiations are still of interest for research and development in the field of fast reactor cladding and core component materials, although more directed to basic problems of radiation damage and parameter studies of irradiation behaviour than to performance tests of the material.