The effect of temperature on the low cycle fatigue properties of a 15Cr-15Ni, Ti modified austenitic stainless steel

Abstract

A titanium modified 15Cr-15Ni-2.5 Mo austenitic stainless steel designated as Alloy D9 is currently a favored material in liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors for fuel clad and sub-assembly wrappers and is also being considered as a primary candidate alloy for fusion reactor first wall applications. The choice of this material in the nuclear industry is primarily based on its excellent resistance to radiation induced void swelling. In nuclear reactor applications the components are often subject to temperature gradient induced thermal stresses which are cyclic in nature as a result of start-ups, shutdowns and transients. Therefore there is a need for comprehensive understanding of both the macroscopic cyclic deformation behavior and the micromechanisms which influence such behavior. Further this understanding must include not only the behavior at maximum operating temperature but also the behavior at lower temperatures encountered during transients. Till date the cyclic stress response and fatigue life of Alloy D9 over a wide temperature range has not been examined and there is no information available on the deformation-induced microstructure during fatigue loadings. The purpose of this paper is to report some recent observations pertaining to the temperature dependence of cyclic stress response and evolving deformation substructure of Alloy D9 between 300 and 923 K.