RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED TENSILE MACHINE FOR HEAVILY NEUTRON-IRRADIATED MATERIALS

The status of the new post irradiation test machine for the FFTF/MOTA collaboration program, an automated tensile machine for FFTF/MOTA miniature tensile specimens, is described. This machine is designed for testing at elevated temperatures, up to 600-degrees-C in a vacuum or in an inert gas environment. Twelve specimen assemblies are placed in the vacuum chamber which can be tested successively in a fully automated manner. The representative test results of the machine are provided together with the description of the function of the automated machine. An automated specimen loading apparatus has been also developed and the qualification of the functions of the apparatus has been finished. The future plan of utilization and modification of this machine is also provided.