Microstructures and mechanical properties of welded Fe-12Cr-20Mn austenitic stainless steel

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02645258· OSTI ID:6655428

Eldridge, I J; Morrison, D J ^[1]

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1. Clarkson Univ., Potsdam, NY (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering

One of the more difficult challenges facing designers of nuclear fusion reactors is the selection of a first-wall material that will withstand the severe thermal and radiation environment. The weldability of fusion reactor materials is a very important consideration. Fission reactors can be designed with weldments outside the regions of most intense radiation, temperature, and mechanical stress. However, this is not possible in the design of fusion reactors. The effects of welding are especially important in light of the fact that reactor structures are often fabricated with metal in a cold-worked condition to optimize resistance to radiation effects. Clearly this advantage would be lost in the vicinity of a weldment. In response to this need for an understanding of the effects of welding on the mechanical behavior of potential fusion reactor materials, this research study was initiated to evaluate the effects of welding on the tensile and fatigue properties of fully annealed and cold-worked Fe-12Cr-20Mn austenitic stainless steel. Room temperature and 500 C tensile tests and room temperature cantilever beam fatigue tests were accomplished on specimens that contained autogenous bead-on-plate welds. The tensile and fatigue properties of the fully annealed material were not significantly influenced by welding. The tensile properties of the welded cold-worked material were also not significantly affected by the presence of a weldment. However, welding caused a large reduction of the fatigue life of the cold-worked material. Fatigue cracks preferentially initiated at large Mn-Si inclusions that formed in the fusion zones of the weldments.

• OSTI ID: 6655428
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance; (United States), Vol. 3:5; ISSN 1059-9495
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Ma
AUSTENITIC STEELS
WELDED JOINTS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROSTRUCTURE
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
CRACK PROPAGATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
ALLOYS
DATA
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINTS
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
STEELS
360102* - Metals & Alloys- Structure & Phase Studies
360103 - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties
700480 - Fusion Technology- Component Development
Materials Studies- (1992-)