Material Inconsistencies Acknowledged in Nuclear Reactor Vessel Head and Bottom

ore trouble has been reported at one of the four European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) units currently under construction.
AREVA announced on April 7 that chemical and mechanical testing conducted on a reactor vessel head and bottom similar to that of the Flamanville EPR (a 1,630-MW unit under construction on the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula in France) has identified high-carbon concentration in the steel, causing the material’s mechanical toughness to be questioned.

http://www.powermag.com/material-inconsistencies-acknowledged-in-nuclear-reactor-vessel-head-and-bottom/?hq_e=el&hq_m=3059465&hq_l=5&hq_v=30108e0773

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