Axial Fatigue of Irradiated Stainless Steels Tested at Elevated Temperatures

Abstract

Uniaxial fatigue properties from tests at 400, 500, 600, and 700 C on Type 304, 304L (Ti modified), and 316 stainless steel specimens irradiated at 450 C in sodium and 750 C in argon at fluences of 0.03 to 9.3×1021 n/cm2, E>0.1 MeV, are given and compared with control specimens. Material was tested in the annealed, cold-worked, and chilled-swaged-tempered condition, while primary controls received a pretest anneal of 1500 h at 750 C. The data at 400, 500, and 600 C are compared with proposed design curves for 18-8 steels. Some data on microstructural changes due to irradiation are given. A reduction in the fatigue life by a factor of less than 2.5 was found in the annealed material, which was attributed to irradiation damage. A beneficial effect on fatigue life of pretreatment by swaging was found after irradiation at 450 and 750 C for 2550 h.

Fatigue Reliability Analysis Method of Reactor Structure Considering Cumulative Effect of Irradiation

“…However, the effect of irradiation is not generally considered in fatigue analyses of reactor structures. Some studies have carried out fatigue tests under different irradiation test conditions but obtained different (even contradictory) test conclusions [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Under certain irradiation test conditions, the fatigue life of the sample without irradiation is 1.5–2.5 times that of the sample with irradiation [ 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Some studies have carried out fatigue tests under different irradiation test conditions but obtained different (even contradictory) test conclusions [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Under certain irradiation test conditions, the fatigue life of the sample without irradiation is 1.5–2.5 times that of the sample with irradiation [ 16 , 17 ]. However, Zhong [ 18 ] found that the fatigue life of an irradiated sample was three times greater than that of a non-irradiated sample.…”