Effect of thermal aging on the room temperature tensile properties of AISI type 316LN stainless steel

Round tensile specimens of AISI type 316LN stainless steel, thermally aged at 1123 K for 0, 2, 10, 25, 100, 500 and 1000 h, were tested for tensile properties at room temperature at a strain rate of 7.7 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹. The changes in tensile properties were correlated to the transmission electron microscopic studies. The various stages of nitrogen repartitioning including Cr–N cluster formation, intragranular and subsequent cellular precipitation of Cr₂N were found to have a strong influence on the yield strength (YS) and ductility of the material. However, the changes in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) with aging were negligible. The results of electrochemical extraction of secondary phases clearly indicated a two-slope behavior. X-ray diffraction analysis of electrochemically extracted residue suggested that the initial smaller sloped line corresponded to the precipitation of the Cr₂N phase while the line with larger slope at longer aging time corresponded to the domination of chi phase precipitation.     

Behavior of annealed type 316 stainless steel under monotonic and cyclic biaxial loading at room temperature

This paper addresses the elastic-plastic behavior of type 316 stainless steel, one of the major structural alloys used in liquid-metal fast breeder reactor components. The study was part of a continuing program to develop a structural design technology applicable to advanced reactor systems. Here, the behavior of solution annealed material was examined through biaxial stress experiments conducted at room temperature under radial loadings (√3τ = σ) in tension-torsion stress space. The effects of both stress limited monotonic loading and strain limited cyclic loading were determined on the size, shape, and position of yield loci corresponding to a small offset strain (10 microstrain) definition of yield.In the present work, the aim was to determine the extent to which the constitutive laws previously recommended for type 304 stainless steel are applicable to type 316 stainless steel. It was concluded that for the conditions investigated, the inelastic behavior of the two materials are qualitatively similar. Specifically, the von Mises yield criterion provides a reasonable approximation of initial yield behavior and the subsequent hardening behavior, at least under small offset definitions of yield, is to the first order kinematic in nature.     

High velocity tensile test of austenitic stainless steel at elevated temperatures

This paper presents experimental results concerning the tensile properties of JIS Type SUS 316 stainless steel. The test was carried out at room temperature, 400°C and 550°C at strain rates of 10⁻³ 1/s and 10² 1/s. Base metal, weld joint and weld metal specimens were chosen for the test. The aim of this test is to clarify the effects of strain rate and test temperature on the mechanical properties such as 0.2% yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation of JIS Type SUS 316 stainless steel.     

Low cycle fatigue properties of CLAM steel at room temperature

The low cycle fatigue (LCF) properties and the fracture behavior of China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel have been studied over a range of total strain amplitudes from 0.2 to 2.0%. The specimens were cycled using tension-compression loading under total strain amplitude control. The CLAM steel displayed initial hardening followed by continuous softening to failure at room temperature in air. The relationship between strain and fatigue life was predicted using the parameters obtained from fatigue test. The factors effecting on low cycle fatigue of CLAM steel consisted of initial state of matrix dislocation arrangement, magnitude of cyclic stress, magnitude of total strain amplitude and microstructure. The potential mechanisms controlling the stress response, cyclic strain resistance and low cycle fatigue life have been evaluated.     

Influence of sodium environment on the uniaxial tensile behavior of titanium modified type 316 stainless steel

True stress-true strain tensile data have been obtained for titanium modified type 316 stainless steel in the solution annealed condition and after exposure to a flowing sodium environment at temperature of 700, 650, 600 and 550°C. The specimens were exposed to sodium for times between 120 and 5012 h to produce carbon penetration depths in the range 0.05–0.30 mm. The Voce equation was used to describe tensile flow curves for plastic strains above 0.005. The results showed that, when compared with solution annealed specimens, the tensile flow behavior of the sodium exposed specimens is characterized by a higher strain hardening rate, which decreases rapidly as the flow stress increases. The loss in tensile ductility of the material due to carburization in sodium environment was found to be minimal.     

Effect of flowing sodium on corrosion and tensile properties of AISI type 316LN stainless steel at 823 K

AISI type 316LN stainless steel was exposed to flowing sodium in mass transfer loop (MTL) at 823 K for 16 000 h and then examined for changes in the tensile properties due to the mass transfer and corrosion effects. Comparisons in microstructural and mechanical properties were made between annealed, thermally aged and sodium exposed materials. Microstructural examination of thermally aged and sodium exposed materials revealed precipitation of carbides at the grain boundaries. The sodium exposed samples contained a degraded layer at the surface up to a depth of around 10 μm and a surface carburized layer of about 30 μm. There was about 15% increase in yield strength and a decrease of about 20% in ductility for the sodium exposed material vis-a-vis thermally aged material and this was attributed to carburization effects and microstructural changes.     

The effect of a temperature change on void-swelling in electron-irradiated stainless steel type 316

The void-swelling behaviour of stainless steel type 316 has been investigated in electron-irradiation experiments to doses of 40 dpa, involving a temperature change between 475°C and 575°C, or vice versa, after 20 dpa. In the high/low temperature cycle the swelling was commutative. In the low/high temperature cycle the swelling rate, even at 575°C, was characteristic of 475°C. The dominant point-defect sinks are the dislocations and the effects can be understood in terms of changes in the dislocation density. A low/high temperature cycle is beneficial as long as the dislocations dominate the voids as point-defect sinks and thermal vacancies are unimportant. Implications for the operation of fast breeder reactors are discussed.     

Dynamic strain aging in stress controlled creep-fatigue tests of 316L stainless steel under different loading conditions

Stress controlled fatigue-creep tests were carried out for 316L stainless steel under different loading conditions, i.e. different loading levels at the fixed temperature (loading condition 1, LC1) and different temperatures at the fixed loading level (loading condition 2, LC2). Cyclic deformation behaviors were investigated with respect to the evolutions of strain amplitude and mean strain. Abrupt mean strain jumps were found during cyclic deformation, which was in response to the dynamic strain aging effect. Moreover, as to LC1, when the minimum stress is negative at 550 °C, abrupt mean strain jumps occur at the early stage of cyclic deformation and there are many jumps during the whole process. While the minimum stress is positive, mean strain only jumps once at the end of deformation. Similar results were also found in LC2, when the loading level is fixed at −100 to 385 MPa, at higher temperatures (560, 575 °C), abrupt mean strain jumps occur at the early stage of cyclic deformation and there are many jumps during the whole process. While at lower temperature (540 °C), mean strain only jumps once at the end of deformation.     

High-temperature tensile and creep data for Inconel 600, 304 stainless steel and SA106B carbon steel

We report results from high temperature tensile and creep tests performed on Inconel 600, 304 stainless steel and SA106B carbon steel, materials used to construct components which penetrate the lower heads of reactor vessels. Testing temperatures for the Inconel and stainless and carbon steels exceeded 1360 K, 1350 K and 1040 K, respectively. These data are applicable, but not limited, to severe accident analysis.     

Fracture toughness of China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel at room temperature

The fracture toughness (J_IC) of China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel was tested at room temperature through the compact tension specimen, the result is 417.9 kJ/m², which is similar to the JLF-1 at same experimental conditions. The microstructural observation of the fracture surface shows that the fracture mode is a typical ductile fracture. Meanwhile, the fracture toughness is also calculated on the basis of the fractal dimension and the calculated result is 454.6 kJ/m², which is consistent well with the experimental result. This method could be used to estimate the fracture toughness of materials by analyzing of the fracture surface.     

Study on creep-fatigue failure prediction methods for type 304 stainless steel

Creep-fatigue failure is one of the principal failure modes to be avoided in elevated-temperature components of liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) plants. To prevent this failure during the plant life with sufficient confidence, accurate and reliable methods should be employed for evaluating creep-fatigue endurance. A number of creep-fatigue tests have been conduced to establish a reliable creep-fatigue design methodology applicable to LMFBR plants in the last two decades but the conditions of these tests are generally far from those expected in actual plants. For the purpose of studying the characteristics of various creep-fatigue life prediction methods in conditions closer to actual plant conditions, the authors initiated creep and creep-fatigue tests for type 304 austenitic stainless steel with a special emphasis on tests with longer durations than past tests. Interim results are summarized in this paper. Two representative life prediction methods, linear damage fraction rule and ductility exhaustion method, were then applied to these test conditions. It was found that both methods can predict the failure lives with reasonable accuracy. Some comparisons were made regarding the characteristics of these two methods.     

Experimental study on uniaxial and nonproportionally multiaxial ratcheting of SS304 stainless steel at room and high temperatures

An experimental study was achieved for the cyclic properties of SS304 stainless steel subjected to uniaxial strain-controlled, uniaxial and nonproportionally multiaxial stress-controlled cyclic loading at room and high temperatures. The effects of cyclic strain amplitude, mean strain, temperature and their histories on the cyclic deformation behavior of the material were investigated under the uniaxial strain-controlled cyclic loading. The uniaxial and nonproportionally multiaxial ratcheting was researched under the asymmetrical stress-controlled cyclic loading with variable stress amplitudes, mean stresses, loading paths and their histories at room and high temperatures. It is shown that the uniaxial cyclic properties under strain-controlled cyclic loading and the ratcheting under asymmetric uniaxial and nonproportionally multiaxial stress-controlled cyclic loading depend not only on the current temperature and loading state, but also greatly on the previous loading history and the shape of loading path. The material presents much greater cyclic hardening and less ratcheting in the range of 400–600 °C than at room temperature, due to the strong dynamic strain aging taken place in this temperature range. Some significant results were obtained for the constitutive modeling of cyclic plastic deformation such as ratcheting.     

Fatigue crack growth behavior of weld heat-affected zone of type 304 stainless steel in high temperature water

The fatigue crack growth behavior of the weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) of type 304 stainless steel in high temperature water which simulates the boiling-water reactor environment was investigated to clarify the effects of welding residual stress, cyclic frequency f and thermal aging on crack growth rate. A lower crack growth rate of the HAZ than of the base metal was observed in both the high temperature water and the ambient air caused by the compressive residual stress. The crack closure point was measured in the high temperature water. The effect of the welding residual stress on the crack growth rate of the HAZ can be evaluated separately from the environmental effect through the crack closure behavior. The high temperature water increased the crack growth rate at a cyclic frequency of 0.0167 Hz but did not affect it much at 3 and 5 Hz. The crack growth behavior of the thermally aged HAZ at 400 °C for 1800 h was almost the same as that of the unaged material tested at 0.0167 and 5 Hz in the high temperature water.     

Radiation-induced stress relaxation in high temperature water of type 316L stainless steel evaluated by neutron diffraction

Weld beads on plate specimens made of type 316L stainless steel were neutron-irradiated up to about 2.5 × 10²⁵ n/m² (E > 1 MeV) at 561 K in the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR). Residual stresses of the specimens were measured by the neutron diffraction method, and the radiation-induced stress relaxation was evaluated. The values of σ_x residual stress (transverse to the weld bead) and σ_y residual stress (longitudinal to the weld bead) decreased with increasing neutron dose. The tendency of the stress relaxation was almost the same as previously published data, which were obtained for type 304 stainless steel. From this result, it was considered that there was no steel type dependence on radiation-induced stress relaxation. The neutron irradiation dose dependence of the stress relaxation was examined using an equation derived from the irradiation creep equation. The coefficient of the stress relaxation equation was obtained, and the value was 1.4 (×10⁻⁶/MPa/dpa). This value was smaller than that of nickel alloy.     

High temperature design curves for high nitrogen grades of 316LN stainless steel

Nitrogen alloyed low carbon grade 316L(N) stainless steel (SS) is a major structural material for high temperature structural components of sodium cooled fast reactors. With a view to significantly enhance the high temperature mechanical properties of 316L(N) SS and thereby increase the design life of structural components from 40 years to 60 years, the influence of nitrogen content on the tensile and creep properties of this steel has been investigated. Four heats of 316LN SS with 0.07, 0.11, 0.14, and 0.22 wt.% nitrogen were used in this investigation. Tensile tests were carried out at various temperatures between room temperature and 850 °C. Creep tests were carried out at 650 °C at various stress levels in the range of 140-225 MPa. The maximum rupture life in these tests was 16,000 h. The tensile and creep data were analysed according to RCC-MR nuclear code procedures and the design curves have been generated. The tensile and creep strength of 316L(N) SS have been found to improve significantly by increasing the nitrogen content.     

Dependence of irradiation creep on temperature and atom displacements in 20% cold worked type 316 stainless steel

Irradiation creep studies with pressurized tubes of 20% cold worked Type 316 stainless steel were conducted in the Second Experimental Breeder Reactor. These studies have shown that as atom displacements are extended above 5 dpa and temperatures are increased above 375°C, the irradiation induced creep rate increases with both increasing atom displacements and increasing temperature. The stress exponent for irradiation induced creep remained near unity. Irradiation induced effective creep strains up to 1.8% were observed without specimen failure.     

Cumulative damage fatigue tests on nuclear reactor Zircaloy-2 fuel tubes at room temperature and 300°C

Cumulative damage fatigue tests were conducted on the Zircaloy-2 fuel tubes at room temperature and 300°C on the modified Moore type, four-point-loaded, deflection-controlled, rotating bending fatigue testing machine. The cumulative cycle ratio at fracture for the Zircaloy-2 fuel tubes was found to depend on the sequence of loading, stress history, number of cycles of application of the pre-stress and the test temperature. A Hi-Lo type fatigue loading was found to be very much damaging at room temperature and this feature was not observed in the tests at 300°C. Results indicate significant differences in damage interaction and damage propagation under cumulative damage tests at room temperature and at 300°C. Block-loading fatigue tests are suggested as the best method to determine the life-time of Zircaloy-2 fuel tubes under random fatigue loading during their service in the reactor.     

Effect of aging at 700 °C on precipitation and toughness of AISI 321 and AISI 347 austenitic stainless steel welds

A detailed knowledge of changes in microstructures and mechanical behaviour that occur in austenitic stainless steels with or without Nb/Ti-stabilized weld during heat treatment is of great interest, since the ductility and toughness of the material may change drastically after long aging times. Two kinds of materials, i.e. AISI 321 base and without Ti-stabilized weld steel and AISI 347 base with Nb-stabilized weld steel, were compared during aging at 700 °C up to 6000 h. Both materials present increased amount of precipitate and decreased impact energy as the aging time increases. The decreased extent of impact energy with aging is almost the same for both base materials. However, it presents differences for 347 and 321 weld samples. The latter shows a more drastic decrease of impact energy than the former due to the different amount of precipitates. 321 weld sample precipitates more numerously than 347 weld sample due to the absence of stabilized Ti/Nb on the former. Large amount of carbides is formed on 321 weld sample immediately after welding. The carbides are transformed to sigma phase, which is mainly responsible for the much more sigma phase precipitation compared with other samples, after high-temperature aging. The fractographs showed, in general, brittle fracture mode in 321 weld impact-fractured specimens after aging at 700 °C for 6000 h. However, other samples show ductile fracture mode in general. Several approaches should be employed to control sigma phase precipitation in weld material. These approaches include: decreasing content of ferrite and M₂₃C₆ carbide in weld and selecting Nb added weld wire during welding.     

A set of master curves for the creep ductility of type 316 stainless steel

By using a modified version of Manson's minimum-commitment station function method, a set of master curves for the creep ductility of type 316 steel has been produced. These curves enable an assessment to be made of the effects of the following variables on ductility: stress, temperature, carbon, boron, nitrogen and manganese.