Specimen Orientation and Constraint Effects on the Creep Crack Growth Behaviour of 316H Stainless Steel

Pre-compression (PC) is found to have strong effects on the tensile, uniaxial creep rupture and creep crack growth (CCG) behaviour of type 316H stainless steel at 550 °C. In this work, blocks of 316H steel have been pre-compressed to 8% plastic strain at room temperature and compact tension, C(T), specimens are extracted from the pre-strained blocks with loading directions parallel and normal to the PC axis. The influence of specimen orientation and thickness on the CCG behaviour of the PC material is examined. The results are compared to short term and long term CCG behaviour of 316H steel at the same temperature. Higher CCG rates and shorter CCI times have been found in PC material with a loading direction normal to the PC axis compared to that parallel to the PC axis. These observations are discussed with respect to the microstructural effects.