Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: High temperature fatigue of austenitic stainless steel welds and weldments

Abstract

A comparative evaluation of LCF lives and cyclic stress response of type 304 SS base metal, 308 SS weld metal and 304/308 SS weld joints, prepared by manual metal arc welding process, has been carried out at 823 and 923 K. Further, a comparative evaluation of LCF behaviour of 316L(N) SS base metal, 316 SS weld metal and 316L(N)/316 weld joint has also been conducted at 773 and 873 K. A detailed examination of the microstructural changes and crack initiation and propagation behaviour has been studied with a view to understanding the features which influence the cyclic stress response and fatigue lives of base metal, weld metal and composite specimens. In particular, the role of delta ferrite on the LCF life has been examined. The LCF resistance of 304 SS and its welds were in the order, 304 SS base metal > 308 SS weld metal > 304/308 weld joint, whereas the LCF resistance of 316 SS weld metal was found to be better than that of 316L(N) base metal. 316L(N)/316 weld joints displayed the least fatigue resistance. Detailed investigations have also been performed for assessing the importance of weld discontinuities such as porosity and slag inclusions, on strain controlled LCF behaviour of 308 SS welds. Porosity on the specimen surface has been found to be particularly harmful and caused a life reduction by a factor of seven relative to sound weld metal. Defect combination of porosity and slag inclusions was found to be more deleterious than the case when either the slag inclusions or porosity was present alone. The higher volume fraction of delta-ferrite in weld metal was found to be harmful for fatigue life. Creep-fatigue interaction behaviour of 304 SS base metal, 308 SS weld metal has also been evaluated at 923 K.

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Reference:

Creep-fatigue damage rules for advanced fast reactor design. Technical committee meeting, Manchester (United Kingdom). 11-13 Jun 1996

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--933, pp:201-218