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To simulate irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) behavior by in-pile experiments, it is necessary to irradiate specimens up to a neutron fluence that is higher than the IASCC threshold fluence. Pre-irradiated specimens must be relocated from pre-irradiation capsules to in-pile capsules. Hence, a remote welding machine has been developed. And the integrity of capsule housing for a long term irradiation was evaluated by tensile tests in air and slow strain rate tests in water. Two type specimens were prepared. Specimens were obtained from the outer tubes of capsule irradiated to 1.0–3.9 × 10 26 n/m 2 ( E > 1 MeV). And specimens were irradiated in a leaky capsule to 0.03–1.0 × 10 26 n/m 2 . Elongation more than 15% in tensile test at 423 K was confirmed and no IGSCC fraction was shown in SSRT at 423 K which was estimated as temperature at the outer tubes of the capsule under irradiation.

In order to investigate effects of neutron irradiation on fatigue properties of nuclear materials, a remote-controlled high temperature fatigue test machine was developed at the hot laboratory of the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). A small-sized fatigue specimen having double blades to measure strain with a laser extensometer was designed for this machine. A strain amplitude in fatigue tests of a completely reversed push-pull type using a triangular wave was controlled with an accuracy of ±3% of the total strain range during test. Low cycle fatigue tests of type 304 stainless steel irradiated in JMTR at 823 K up to a fast neutron fluence of 1×1025 n/m2 (E>1 MeV) were performed in total strain ranges of 0.7–1.4% at 823 K using the designed small-sized specimens.

Small specimen test techniques (SSTT) are essential to use an accelerator-driven deuterium–lithium stripping reaction neutron source for the study of fusion reactor materials because of the limitation of the available irradiation volume. A remote-controlled small punch (SP) test machine was developed at the hot laboratory of the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). This report describes the SP test method and machine for use in a hot cell, and test results on irradiated ferritic steels. The specimen was either a coupon 10×10×0.25 mm3 or a TEM disk 3 mm in diameter by 0.25 mm in thickness. Tests can be performed at temperatures ranging from 93 to 1123 K in a vacuum or in an inert gas environment. The ductile to brittle transition temperature of the irradiated ferritic steel as determined by the SP test is also evaluated.

A precipitation hardening type 630 stainless steel was irradiated in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) in contact with the reactor primary coolant. The temperature of the irradiated specimens was about 330 K. The fast neutron (E > 1 MeV) fluence for the specimens ranged from 1024 to 1026 m−2. Tension tests and fracture toughness tests were carried out at room temperature, while Charpy impact tests were done at temperatures of 273–453 K. Tensile strength data showed a peak of 1600 MPa at around 7 × 1024 m−2, then gradually decreased to about 1500 MPa at 1.2 × 1026 m−2. The elongation decreased with irradiation from 12% for unirradiated material to 6% at 1.2 × 1026 m−2. The fractography after the tension test revealed that the fracture was ductile. Fracture toughness decreased to about a half of the value for unirradiated material with irradiation. The cleavage fracture was dominant on the fractured surface. Charpy impact tests showed an increase of ductile–brittle transition temperature (DBTT) by 60 K with irradiation.

Neutron irradiation effects on a Ti–Ni shape memory alloy (SMA) are not understood regarding the engineering behavior of tightening and connecting core parts. Irradiation response on shape memory capabilities for Ti–Ni SMA couplers was investigated by measuring the inner diameter of a SMA coupler. Ti–Ni SMA couplers were irradiated to a fast neutron fluence ( E > 1 MeV) of 1.4 × 10 25 m −2 at 323 and 503 K in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor of JAERI. The inner diameter versus temperature curves showed a large hysteresis for the SMA coupler irradiated at 323 K. At a neutron fluence above 10 25 m −2 , the hysteresis after 323 K irradiation increased by 50% more than that after 503 K irradiation. The maximum amount of reversible stroke of the irradiated two-way Ti–Ni SMA coupler during heating and cooling was reduced to 70% that of an unirradiated one and the two-way Ti–Ni SMA coupler is more resistant to neutron irradiation than the one-way Ti–Ni SMA coupler.

The austenitic stainless steels of type 304 and type 316 and the precipitation hardened type 630 stainless steel were irradiated to doses ranging from 5 × 1024 to 1.2 × 1026 at 323 K in the Japan Materials Testing reactor (JMTR). Tensile and fracture toughness tests have been carried out at 293 K. Type 304 and 316 steels in the solution annealed condition hardened by irradiation to about 700 MPa. Fracture toughness values for these steels decreased with dose. Only a small hardening occurred after irradiation for cold worked type 304 and precipitation hardened type 630 steels. The effect of irradiation on the fracture surfaces was small.

Several tools using Ti based shape memory alloys (SMA) such as SMA coupler, connector, jack system and in-vacuum gate valve, have been developed to promote the remote maintenance and the quick replacement technology for fusion core parts. Recently, irradiation induced stress relaxation (IISR) has become a concern for components of the fusion core. IISR may be a severe problem for SMAs as well as the structural materials in the fusion reactor. The IISR of TiNi SMA and TiPd high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMA), which have both transformation temperatures and working temperatures 400 K higher than those of TiNi alloys, may be controlled by the migration of vacancies rather than interstitials. This mechanism facilitates restoration of the damaged state to normal state under irradiation. TiPd HTSMAs may be used to fabricate irradiation-resistant shape memory devices for temperatures up to 800 K if proper heat treatments can be developed.

In Experiment 1 we investigated the independent and combined effects of horizontal OKN of stationary edges and occlusion of the central retina. For a display 60 degrees wide moving at 30 degrees/sec a symmetrically placed pair of vertical nonoccluding bars suppressed OKN when near the center of the display but had no effect when 30 degrees apart. A 7 degrees-high 60 degrees-wide central occluder reduced OKN gain by 37%. However, a central occluder with edges only 30 degrees wide abolished OKN. In Experiment 2 this interaction between central occlusion and stationary edges was confirmed with a wider display over a range of stimulus velocities and configurations. A functional explanation of this interaction is presented.

Previous experiments to decide whether the gain of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) is increased or decreased by occlusion of the central retina involved the use of stationary edges on the occluder and unmatched contrasts. With these factors controlled, it was confirmed that OKN gain is severely reduced by occlusion of the central retina but only at stimulus velocities above about 30°/sec. The gain of horizontal OKN was found not to increase with increasing width of the display if the lateral edges are blurred. The high gain of centrally driven OKN may be related to the ability of higher mammals to stabilize the images of objects at a given distance in a complex parallactic visual field.