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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Spent nuclear fuel is in Sweden planned to be disposed of by encapsulating in waste packages consisting of a cast iron insert surrounded by a copper canister. The waste package is heavy. Throughout the manufacturing process from the extrusion/pierce-and-draw manufacturing to the final placement in the repository, the copper is subjected to handling which could introduce cold work in the material. It is well known that the creep properties of engineering materials at higher temperatures are affected by cold working.
The study includes creep testing of four series of cold worked, oxygen-free, phosphorus doped copper (Cu-OFP) at 75 °C. The results are compared to reference series for as-received material carried out in a recent study. Two series of copper cold worked in tension (12 and 24 %) and two series cold worked in compression (12 % parallel to creep load axis and 15 % perpendicular to creep load axis) were tested.
The results show that pre-straining in tension of copper leads to prolonged creep life at 75 °C. The creep rate and ductility are reduced. The influence on the creep properties increases with the amount of cold work. Cold work in compression applied along the creep load axis has no effect on the creep life or the creep rate. Nonetheless the ductility is still impaired. However, cold work in compression applied perpendicular to the creep load direction has a positive effect on the creep life. Cold work in both tension and compression results in a pronounced reduction of the initial strain on loading. Yet the high value of the area reduction, 90 %, is unaffected by the degree of cold work.
