Importance of strain rate in elevated-temperature low-cycle fatigue of austenitic stainless steels

Extrapolation of elevated-temperature, tensile-hold fatigue life of types 304 and 316 stainless steel is obtained by the use of four existing life predictive methods. The results show that, although the calculated lives for the different methods are similar for short hold-time tests, they can vary greatly from one method to another when extrapolated to long hold-time situations. Methods that do not take into account the effects of strain rate provide optimistic values as opposed to the more pessimistic values projected by the methods that account for strain-rate effects.     

The effect of dose rate on the response of austenitic stainless steels to neutron radiation

Depending on reactor design and component location, austenitic stainless steels may experience significantly different irradiation dose rates in the same reactor. Understanding the effect of dose rate on radiation performance is important to predicting component lifetime. This study examined the effect of dose rate on swelling, grain boundary segregation, and tensile properties in austenitic stainless steels through the examination of components retrieved from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) following its shutdown. Annealed 304 stainless steel, stress-relieved 304 stainless steel, 12% cold-worked 316 stainless steel, and 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel were irradiated over a dose range of 1–56 dpa at temperatures from 371 to 440 °C and dose rates from 0.5 to 5.8 × 10⁻⁷ dpa/s. Density and tensile properties were measured for 304 and 316 stainless steel. Changes in grain boundary composition were examined for 304 stainless steel. Swelling appears to increase at lower dose rates in both 304 and 316 stainless steel, although the effect was not always statistically significant. Grain boundary segregation also appears to increase at lower dose rate in 304 stainless steel. For the range of dose rates examined, no measurable dose rate effect on tensile properties was noted for any of the steels.     

TEM observations and finite element modelling of channel deformation in pre-irradiated austenitic stainless steels - Interactions with free surfaces and grain boundaries

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations show that dislocation channel deformation occurs in pre-irradiated austenitic stainless steels, even at low stress levels (∼175 MPa, 290 °C) in low neutron dose (∼0.16 dpa, 185 °C) material. The TEM observations are utilized to design finite element (FE) meshes that include one or two “soft” channels (i.e. low critical resolved shear stress (CRSS)) of particular aspect ratio (length divided by thickness) embedded at the free surface of a “hard” matrix (i.e. high CRSS). The CRSS are adjusted using experimental data and physically based models from the literature. For doses leading to hardening saturation, the computed surface slips are as high as 100% for an applied stress close to the yield stress, when the observed channel aspect ratio is used. Surface slips are much higher than the grain boundary slips because of matrix constraint effect. The matrix CRSS and the channel aspect ratio are the most influential model parameters. Predictions based on an analytical formula are compared with surface slips computed by the FE method. Predicted slips, either in surface or bulk channels, agree reasonably well with either atomic force microscopy measures reported in the literature or measures based on our TEM observations. Finally, it is shown that the induced surface slip and grain boundary stress concentrations strongly enhance the kinetics of the damage mechanisms possibly involved in IASCC.     

Effects of nitrogen on low-cycle fatigue properties of type 304L austenitic stainless steels tested with and without tensile strain hold

A quantitative analysis of the effects of nitrogen on high temperature low-cycle fatigue without and with tensile strain hold at 600 °C has been conducted for type 304L stainless steels. For better understanding of the role of nitrogen on grain boundary precipitation, the grain boundary segregation of nitrogen was analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy. The nitrogen addition is found to give relatively better resistance to creep-fatigue than continuous low-cycle fatigue. This in turn improves the fatigue life. This is due to the retardation of the precipitation of carbides at the grain boundary and reduction in the density of grain boundary cavitation sites which are the main factor of grain boundary damage under creep-fatigue test.     

Analysis of tensile deformation and failure in austenitic stainless steels: Part I - Temperature dependence

This paper describes the temperature dependence of deformation and failure behaviors in the austenitic stainless steels (annealed 304, 316, 316LN, and 20% cold-worked 316LN) in terms of equivalent true stress-true strain curves. The true stress-true strain curves up to the final fracture were calculated from tensile test data obtained at −150 to 450 °C using an iterative finite element method. Analysis was largely focused on the necking and fracture: key parameters such as the strain hardening rate, equivalent fracture stress, fracture strain, and tensile fracture energy were evaluated, and their temperature dependencies were investigated. It was shown that a significantly high strain hardening rate was retained during unstable deformation although overall strain hardening rate beyond the onset of necking was lower than that of the uniform deformation. The fracture stress and energy decreased with temperature up to 200 °C and were nearly saturated as the temperature came close to the maximum test temperature 450 °C. The fracture strain had a maximum at −50 to 20 °C before decreasing with temperature. It was explained that these temperature dependencies of fracture properties were associated with a change in the dominant strain hardening mechanism with test temperature. Also, it was seen that the pre-straining of material has little effect on the strain hardening rate during necking deformation and on fracture properties.     

Impact of localized deformation on IASCC in austenitic stainless steels

Localized deformation has been identified as a potential primary contributor to IASCC. Seven austenitic alloys were irradiated to 1 and 5 dpa at 360 °C using 2-3.2 MeV protons and were tested both in simulated BWR environment and in argon. Cracking susceptibility was evaluated at both 1% and 3% strain intervals using crack length per unit area. Stacking fault energy (SFE), hardness, radiation-induced segregation (RIS) and localized deformation were characterized and their correlations with cracking were evaluated using a proposed term, correlation strength. Both SFE and hardness contributed to cracking but neither was the dominant factor. RIS did not play an important role in this study. The correlation strength of localized deformation with IASCC was found to be significantly higher than for others parameters, implying that localized deformation is the most important factor in IASCC. Although not well understood, localized deformation may promote cracking through intensive interaction of dislocations in slip channels with grain boundaries.     

The effect of tensile stress on the growth of helium bubbles in an austenitic stainless steel

Foils of the ternary alloy, Fe-17 wt% Cr-17 wt% Ni, were cyclotron-injected with ~160 at ppm helium and annealed at 1023 K for times up to 1.74 Ms (482 h). Some foils were subjected to tensile stresses which ranged from 9.8 to 27.5 MPa during annealing while others were unstressed. Helium bubbles grew in unstressed specimens at different rates depending on their location in the microstructure; the largest bubbles were found at triple grain junctions, smaller ones on the grain boundaries, and the smallest in the grain matrices. Bubble size in the matrix was approximately proportional to $\text{t}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>4</mtext>}}$ for annealing times greater than 2.88 × 10⁴s (8 h). Applied tensile stress accelerated the growth of bubbles, especially at triple grain junctions and grain boundaries. The enhanced growth in these areas appear to be associated with grain-boundary sliding. The number of bubbles in the matrix and on grain boundaries generally decreased with annealing time, suggesting that a migration-coalescence mechanism was also operating.     

Analysis of tensile deformation and failure in austenitic stainless steels: Part II - Irradiation dose dependence

Irradiation effects on the stable and unstable deformation and fracture behavior of austenitic stainless steels (SSs) have been studied in detail based on the equivalent true stress versus true strain curves. An iterative finite element simulation technique was used to obtain the equivalent true stress-true strain data from experimental tensile curves. The simulation result showed that the austenitic stainless steels retained high strain hardening rate during unstable deformation even after significant irradiation. The strain hardening rate was independent of irradiation dose up to the initiation of a localized necking. Similarly, the equivalent fracture stress was nearly independent of dose before the damage (embrittlement) mechanism changed. The fracture strain and tensile fracture energy decreased with dose mostly in the low dose range <∼2 dpa and reached nearly saturation values at higher doses. It was also found that the fracture properties for EC316LN SS were less sensitive to irradiation than those for 316 SS, although their uniform tensile properties showed almost the same dose dependencies. It was confirmed that the dose dependence of tensile fracture properties evaluated by the linear approximation model for nominal stress was accurate enough for practical use without elaborate calculations.     

Isolating the effect of radiation-induced segregation in irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels

Post-irradiation annealing was used to help identify the role of radiation-induced segregation (RIS) in irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) by preferentially removing dislocation loop damage from proton-irradiated austenitic stainless steels while leaving the RIS of major and minor alloying elements largely unchanged. The goal of this study is to better understand the underlying mechanisms of IASCC. Simulations of post-irradiation annealing of RIS and dislocation loop microstructure predicted that dislocation loops would be removed preferentially over RIS due to both thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. To verify the simulation predictions, a series of post-irradiation annealing experiments were performed. Both a high purity 304L (HP-304L) and a commercial purity 304 (CP-304) stainless steel alloy were irradiated with 3.2 MeV protons at 360 °C to doses of 1.0 and 2.5 dpa. Following irradiation, post-irradiation anneals were performed at temperatures ranging from 400 to 650 °C for times between 45 and 90 min. Grain boundary composition was measured using scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry in both as-irradiated and annealed samples. The dislocation loop population and radiation-induced hardness were also measured in as-irradiated and annealed specimens. At all annealing temperatures above 500 °C, the hardness and dislocation densities decreased with increasing annealing time or temperature much faster than RIS. Annealing at 600 °C for 90 min removed virtually all dislocation loops while leaving RIS virtually unchanged. Cracking susceptibility in the CP-304 alloy was mitigated rapidly during post-irradiation annealing, faster than RIS, dislocation loop density or hardening. That the cracking susceptibility changed while the grain boundary chromium composition remained essentially unchanged indicates that Cr depletion is not the primary determinator for IASCC susceptibility. For the same reason, the visible dislocation microstructure and radiation-induced hardening are also not sufficient to cause IASCC alone.     

Effects of oversized solutes on radiation-induced segregation in austenitic stainless steels

Zirconium or hafnium additions to austenitic stainless steels caused a reduction in grain boundary Cr depletion after proton irradiations for up to 3 dpa at 400 °C and 1 dpa at 500 °C. The predictions of a radiation-induced segregation (RIS) model were also consistent with experiments in showing greater effectiveness of Zr relative to Hf due to a larger binding energy. However, the experiments showed that the effectiveness of the solute additions disappeared above 3 dpa at 400 °C and above 1 dpa at 500 °C. The loss of solute effectiveness with increasing dose is attributed to a reduction in the amount of oversized solute from the matrix due to growth of carbide precipitates. Atom probe tomography measurements indicated a reduction in amount of oversized solute in solution as a function of irradiation dose. The observations were supported by diffusion analysis suggesting that significant solute diffusion by the vacancy flux to precipitate surfaces occurs on the time scales of proton irradiations. With a decrease in available solute in solution, improved agreement between the predictions of the RIS model and measurements were consistent with the solute-vacancy trapping process, as the mechanism for enhanced recombination and suppression of RIS.     

Localized deformation as a key precursor to initiation of intergranular stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels employed in nuclear power plants

Cold-work has been associated with the occurrence of intergranular cracking of stainless steels employed in light water reactors. This study examined the deformation behavior of AISI 304, AISI 347 and a higher stacking fault energy model alloy subjected to bulk cold-work and (for 347) surface deformation. Deformation microstructures of the materials were examined and correlated with their particular mechanical response under different conditions of temperature, strain rate and degree of prior cold-work. Select slow-strain rate tensile tests in autoclaves enabled the role of local strain heterogeneity in crack initiation in pressurized water reactor environments to be considered. The high stacking fault energy material exhibited uniform strain hardening, even at sub-zero temperatures, while the commercial stainless steels showed significant heterogeneity in their strain response. Surface treatments introduced local cold-work, which had a clear effect on the surface roughness and hardness, and on near-surface residual stress profiles. Autoclave tests led to transgranular surface cracking for a circumferentially ground surface, and intergranular crack initiation for a polished surface.     

The effect of fast neutron irradiation upon the fatigue-crack propagation behavior of two austenitic stainless steels

The effect of fast neutron irradiation ($\text{454° < T}{}_{\mathrm{irr}}\text{< 477° C}$) to a fluence of $\text{9 × 10}{}^{21}\text{n/cm}{}^2$ ($\text{E > 0.1 MeV}$) on the fatigue-crack growth behavior was investigated for annealed Type 304 and 20% coldworked Type 316 stainless steels using linear-elastic fracture mechanics techniques. Irradiation to this fluence had little or no effect upon the crack growth behavior of annealed Type 304 at a test temperature of 427° C, nor upon the behavior of 20% cold-worked Type 316 at test temperatures of 427° C and 538° C. Irradiation to this fluence did tend to decrease crack growth rates slightly, relative to unirradiated material, in annealed Type 304 at a test temperature of 538° C.     

The role of irradiated microstructure in the localized deformation of austenitic stainless steels

Localized deformation has emerged as a potential factor in irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels in LWR environments and the irradiated microstructure may be a critical factor in controlling the degree of localized deformation. Seven austenitic alloys with various compositions were irradiated using 2-3 MeV protons to doses of 1 and 5 dpa at 360 °C. The irradiated microstructure consisting of dislocation loops and voids was characterized using transmission electron microscopy. The degree of localized deformation was characterized using atomic force microscopy on the deformed samples after conducting constant extension rate tension tests to 1% and 3% strain in argon. Localized deformation was found to be dependent on the irradiated microstructure and to correlate with hardening originating from dislocation loops. Dislocation loops enhance the formation of dislocation channels and localize deformation into existing channels. On the contrast, voids mitigate the degree of localized deformation. The degree of localized deformation decreases with SFE with the exception of alloy B. Localized deformation was found to have similar dependence on SFE as loop density suggesting that SFE affects localized deformation by altering irradiated microstructure.     

应变幅对国产锻造奥氏体不锈钢环境疲劳寿命影响的试验研究

为验证模拟压水堆核电站冷却剂服役环境对国产锻造主管道用奥氏体不锈钢疲劳寿命的影响,采用高温高压循环水疲劳测试系统对从产品锻件取样加工后的标准试样进行了低周疲劳试验,分析了试验数据与美国机械工程师学会(American Society of Mechanical Engineers,ASME)规范平均/设计疲劳曲线的关系,获得了应变幅对奥氏体不锈钢环境疲劳寿命的影响规律,并初步评价了ASME规范设计疲劳曲线和环境疲劳修正系数的适合性。     

Interpretation of the influences of irradiation upon fatigue crack propagation in austenitic stainless steels

An interpretation of the influences of neutron irradiation upon fatigue crack propagation in austenitic stainless steels is given. The approach has been to extend a previously developed rationalisation of the effects of various test and materials variables upon fatigue crack propagation in unirradiated stainless steels to include irradiated stainless steels.Irradiation has diverse influences upon the rate of fatigue crack propagation depending on the exact irradiation and test conditions. It has been shown that, by considering the underlying mechanisms of failure, some confidence is established in trends in data in a subject where information is very scarce and difficult to obtain.     

Influence of the chemical composition of austenitic stainless steels on their corrosion behaviour in high-temperature sodium

A contribution to the study of corrosion of stainless steel by high temperature sodium has been made by examining the effect of steel composition. Different types of examination have been made on five different steel samples exposed 1000 h at 700°C. Results of weight losses, carbon analysis and mechanical properties after exposure to sodium as well as argon atmosphere are given. They show that the five steels can be sorted into several families, dependent on their composition. A partial explanation is finally given.     

The influence of irradiation induced voids on the yield stress of some austenitic stainless steels

The influence irradiation caused voids have upon the strength of stabilized austenitic steels was investigated. The connection between strength increase and microstructure of the voids was probed via annealing experiments between 500 and 900°C, specifically the yield strength and void size distribution were determined as function of the annealing temperature. It was found that voids contribute toward strength increase especially so for$\text{T ? 0.5 T}{}_{\mathrm{s}}$as far as irradiation induced yield strength is concerned. However, voids do not constitute the rate determining glide obstacles. The interaction between voids and dislocations is discussed. A comparison is drawn with experimentally found yield strength increase. Experimental evidence is discussed which shows that the dissolution of voids might be accelerated by formation of jogs on dislocations. Such a mechanism can — under certain circumstances — e.g. if the dislocation can climb — take place.     

The dependence of the high temperature mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels on implanted helium

High temperature helium embrittlement effects on the creep properties of AISI 316 SS (solution annealed + aged) and DIN 1.4970 SS (solution annealed + cold worked + aged) have been investigated. The generation of helium due to (n. α) nuclear reactions in a fusion reactor environment has been simulated by homogeneous helium implantation at a cyclotron. The creep rupture tests with various applied tensile stresses have been carried out at 1023 K. (316 SS) and 1079 K (1.4970 SS). respectively, with four differently treatly sets of samples: (1) unimplanted controls; (2) after room temperature implantation of 100 appm He; (3) after implantation of 100 appm He at test temperature; (4) creep tested at high temperature during implantation (“in-beam”) with implantation rates of 10–100 appm He/b. In contrast to the ductile behaviour with transgranular failure of the unimplanted controls, all He-implanted samples showed brittle, intergranular early failure. The embrittlement effect was enhanced for the “in-beam” tested samples. The difference between the different treated sets of samples can be related to different bubble microstructures investigated by TEM. In addition, a comparison to reactor data for the DIN 1.4970 SS is presented.     

Determination of the long-term intergranular corrosion rate of stainless steel in concentrated nitric acid

Stainless steels with low carbon content and free from any precipitation undergo intergranular attack in hot nitric acid. The corrosion rate measured by weight loss requires prolonged immersion testing to reach the apparent steady state corrosion, which coincides with the onset of grain dropping. A more appropriate method for predicting the long-term penetration rate is described in this study. A close observation and a statistical analysis of the attack grooves were firstly undertaken using immersion testing. The major findings are an outstanding morphology of the grooves with flat planes and preserved angle even after the onset of grain dropping, as well as a constant rate of the penetration into the surface. The formation of the grooves could then be represented by a geometrical model put forward by Beaunier and co-workers. Consequently, the method proposed for predicting the penetration rate consists in measuring the depth and the angle of the grooves obtained in short time immersion testing. Multiplying the penetration rate calculated from the previous data by the ratio between the penetration depth and the length of the grain boundary path does give an accurate long-term penetration rate. The method has been shown to apply successfully to AISI 304L stainless steel in several nitric solutions.