Fatigue tests under constant amplitude load were conducted on compact tension specimens of SA533B3 steels with four levels of sulphur content at different temperatures. A modified capacitance type crack opening displacement (COD) gauge was shown to be suitable for fatigue crack length measurement at high temperatures. Test results obtained with different measurement techniques show good consistency. The observation that the Young's moduli measured at a strain rate of 4 × 10−3 s−1 for the SA533B3 steels at 150 and 300°C do not decrease with increasing temperature seems to be related to the presence of dynamic strain aging. The fatigue crack growth rates at 150 and 300°C are about two and half times slower than those tested at 400°C because dynamic strain aging prevails at 150 and 300°C. Fractographic examination results suggest that inclusions embedded in secondary cracks enhanced the fatigue crack initiation rather than the fatigue crack growth.
ShahV. N. and MacdonaldP. E.: ‘Aging and life extension of major light water reactor components’, 24, 617; 1993, Amsterdam, Elsevier Science Publishers.
2.
HuangJ. Y., LiR. Z., ChienK. F., KuoR. C., LiawP. K., YangB. and HuangJ. G.: in ‘Fatigue and fracture mechanics’, (ed.ChonaR.), Vol. 32, STP 1406, 105-121; 2001, Philadelphia, PA, ASTM.
3.
HuangJ. Y., ChenC. Y., ChienK. F., KuoR. C., LiawP. K. and HuangJ. G.: Proc. Julia Weertman Symp. TMS Fall Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, USA, October—November 1999, TMS,373–384.
4.
NakajimaH., NakajimaN. and KondoT.: Proc. Symp. on ‘Nuclear power plant life extension’, 81-93; 1987, Paris, France, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.
5.
YangB., LiawP. K., HuangJ. Y., KuoR. C. and HuangJ. G.: Mater. Set Eng. A, 2001, A314,131–139.
6.
LiawP. K., WangH., JiangL., YangB., HuangJ. Y., KuoR. C. and HuangJ. G.: Scr. Mater., 2000, 42, 389–395.
7.
YangB., LiawP. K., WangG., PeterW. H., BuchananR. A., YokoyamaY., HuangJ. Y., KuoR. C., HuangJ. G., FieldenD. E. and KlarstromD. L.: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2004, 35A, 15–24.
8.
ChenC. Y., HuangJ. Y., YehJ. J., KuoR. C., HwangJ. R. and HuangJ. G.: J. Mater. Set, 2003, 38, 817–822.
9.
VanW. A.SluysDer and EmanuelsonR. H.: Proc. 2nd Int. Symp. on ‘Environmental degradation of materials in nuclear power systems - water reactors’, (ed. J. T. A. Roberts), Monterrey, CA, 1985, American Nuclear Society,100–107.
10.
AmzallagC., BernardJ. L. and SlamaG.: Proc. Int. Symp. on ‘Environmental degradation of materials in nuclear power systems - water reactors’, (ed. RobertsJ. T. A.), 727–745; 1983, Myrtle Beach, SC, 1983, NACE, 727–745.
11.
KlesnilM. and LukagP.: ‘Fatigue of Metallic Materials’, 131; 1980, Amsterdam, Elservier Scientific.
12.
VanW. A.SluysDer and CullenW. H.: in ‘Performance and evaluation of light water reactor pressure vessels’, (ed.RungtaR. et al), PVP-119, 63–71; 1987, San Diego, CA, ASME.
13.
O'DonnellT. P. and O'DonnellW. J.: in ‘Performance and evaluation of light water reactor pressure vessels’, (ed.YukawaS.), PVP-306, 59-69; 1995, Honolulu, HI, ASME.
14.
StahlkopfK. E., GilmanJ. D. and MarstanT. U.: in ‘Performance and evaluation of light water reactor pressure vessels’, (ed.RungtaR. et al), PVP-119, 1-7; 1987, San Diego, CA, ASME.
15.
KondoT.: J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 1989, 26, (1), 126–131.
16.
ChopraO. K. and ShackW. J.: ‘Effects of LWR coolant environments on fatigue design curves of carbon and low-alloy steels’, NUREG/CR-6583, ANL-97/18, US Nuclear Regulation Commission, Washington, DC, USA, 1998.
17.
AtkinsonJ. D. and ForrestJ. E.: Proc. 2nd Int. Atomic Energy Agency Specialists’ Meeting on ‘Subcritical crack growth’, (ed.CullenW. H.), Vol. 2, NUREG/CP-0067, 153-178; 1985, Sendai, Japan, US Nuclear Regulation Commission.
18.
ShojiT., KomaiK., AbeS. and NakajimaH.: Proc. 2nd Int. Atomic Energy Agency Specialists’ Meeting on ‘Subcritical crack growth’, (ed.CullenW. H.), Vol. 2, NUREG/CP-0067, 99-105; 1985, Sendai, Japan, US Nuclear Regulation Commission.
19.
SoulatP., PetrequinP. and HoussinB.: in ‘Radiation embrittle-ment and surveillance of nuclear reactor pressure vessels’, (ed.SteeleL. E.), STP 819, 64-85; 1983, Philadelphia, PA, ASTM.
20.
LeeB. H. and KimI. S.: J. Nucl. Mater., 1995, 226, 216–225.
21.
WilsonD. V.: Met. Sci., 1977, 11, 321–331.
22.
WilsonD. V. and TromansJ. K.: Acta Metall., 1970, 18, 1197–1208.
23.
WilsonD. V.: Acta Metall., 1973, 21, 673–682.
24.
MintzB. and WilsonD. V.: Acta Metall., 1965, 13, 947–956.
25.
HuangJ. Y., HwangJ. R., YehJ. J., KuoR. C. and ChenC. Y.: Mater. Sci. Technol., 2003, 19, 1575–1584.
26.
HuangJ. Y., HwangJ. R., YehJ. J., ChenC. Y., KuoR. C. and HuangJ. G.: J. Nucl. Mater., 2004, 324, 140–151.
27.
ConnollyM. P.: in ‘Special applications and advanced techniques for crack size determination’, (ed.RuschauJ. J. and DonaldJ. K.), STP 1251, 3-16; 1995, Philadelphia, PA, ASTM.
28.
DaiY., MarchandN. J. and HongohM.: in ‘Special applications and advanced techniques for crack size determination’, (ed.RuschauJ. J. and DonaldJ. K.), STP 1251, 17-32; 1995, Philadelphia, PA, ASTM.
29.
McEvilyA. J.: ‘Advances in quantative measurement of physical damage’, STP811, 283–312; 1983, Philadelphia, PA, ASTM.
30.
CourtneyT. H.: ‘Mechanical behavior of materials’, 2nd edn, 56; 2000, Taipei, McGraw-Hill Book Co.
31.
GabettaG. and TörrönenK.: Proc. 2nd International Atomic Energy Agency Specialists’ Meeting on ‘Subcritical crack growth’, NUREG/CP-0067,Vol. 2, 131; 1985, Sendai, Japan, US Nuclear Regulation Commission.
