Comparison on Approaches Evaluating Irradiation Embrittlement of Pressure Vessel Steel

Although efforts have been made to establish the cleavage fracture model in the past for more than 30 years,uncertainties remain in predicting the cleavage fracture toughness behavior of pressure vessel steels in the transition region.In this paper,the traditional approach and Master Curve approach of describing the cleavage fracture toughness of pressure vessel steels in the transition region are discussed and compared.The need for focusing on the fundamental principles and criteria of cleavage fracture is addressed.