Ultrasonic Testing of Acoustic and Elastic Properties of 12Kh18N10T Steel Irradiated with Fast Electrons

Special steel grades such as ChS-68 and 12Kh18N10T are used in nuclear power engineering, the space industry, medicine and other important areas of the technical sphere, and during operation are exposed to various types of destructive effects, including radiation load. This paper presents the results of a study of the effect of high-energy electron radiation on the acoustic properties of austenitic stainless-steel grade 12Kh18N10T. It was experimentally established that after exposure to electrons with an energy of 10 MeV, such parameters as the attenuation coefficient of ultrasound and the propagation velocity of transverse waves and Rayleigh waves change. These changes are due to defect formation and structural modifications of the material caused by radiation exposure. The obtained data allow us to conclude that it is necessary to take into account changes in the acoustic properties of steels when assessing their performance under radiation exposure.