High temperature tensile properties of 316LN stainless steel investigated using automated ball indentation technique

Type 316LN stainless steel (SS) is the principal structural material for the components of sodium cooled fast reactors operating under elevated temperature conditions. In order to assess the degradation in strength of service exposed components using a small specimen testing technique such as automated ball indentation (ABI), it is necessary to carry out prior detailed ABI studies on the virgin material. In this investigation, the tensile behaviour of as-received 316LN SS were investigated at several temperatures in the range 298–973 K using ABI technique. The load-depth of indentation data measured from ABI tests was analyzed using semi-empirical relationships to obtain the tensile properties. The yield stress and the flow curves were determined by correlating ABI results with corresponding uniaxial tensile test results. Trend curve for tensile strength with temperature, as estimated from ABI tests, exhibited a plateau region in the temperature around 823 K, similar to uniaxial tensile tests. The variations of strength coefficient, strain hardening exponent, yield ratio, hardness and uniform ductility with temperature were evaluated from ABI tests. The ABI technique was found to estimate the influence of temperature on tensile properties sensitively.