Evaluation of Fatigue Strength of Similar and Dissimilar Welded Joints of Modified 9Cr-1Mo Steel

This paper presents evaluation methods of fatigue strength of similar and dissimilar welded joints of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel which is a candidate structural material for a demonstration fast breeder reactor being developed in Japan. The discontinuity of mechanical properties across welded joint causes a non-homogeneous strain distribution, and this effect should be taken into account for evaluation of fatigue strength of weld joints. In this study, ‘2-element model’, which is consisted of base metal and weld metal, was employed. Firstly, strain ranges of each element are calculated, and secondly fatigue lives of each element are evaluated. Finally, shorter fatigue life is chosen as fatigue life of the weld joint. Failure position can be also estimated by this model. Evaluation results were compared with experimental data at elevated temperature, and it was shown that they agree well.