Low cycle fatigue behavior of hot-bent 347 stainless steel in a simulated PWR water environment

Abstract

The effect of hot bending on the Low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of 347 SS was evaluated in Room temperature (RT) air and simulated Pressurized water reactor (PWR) water environments. The LCF life of 347 SS in PWR water was shorter than that in RT air for the as-received and hot-bent conditions. The LCF life of hot-bent 347 SS was relatively longer than that of the as-received condition in both RT air and PWR water. Microstructure analysis indicated development of dislocation structure near niobium carbide particles and increase in dislocation density for the hot-bent 347 SS. Such microstructure acted as barriers to dislocation movement during the LCF test, resulting in minimal hardening for the hot-bent 347 SS in RT air.