No abstract

A combination of fractographic and metallographic analysis during tensile tests over the temperature ranging from 20 °C to 750 °C were carried out to investigate the fracture behaviors and deformation modes so as to clarify the temperature dependence of mechanical properties of AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel. Planar slip mode of deformation was observed during tensile tests at 20 °C due to a relatively low SFE (stacking fault energies). Pronounced planar slip characteristics were observed in the range of 350–550 °C, and the resultant localized deformation led to the formation of shear bands. The dislocation cross-slip was much easier above 550 °C, leading to the formation of cell/subgrain structures. The preferential microvoid initiation and subsequent anisotropic growth behavior in the shear bands led to large-size and shallow dimples on the fracture surfaces in the range of 350–550 °C. However, the microvoid tended to elongate along the tensile direction in the localized necking region above 550 °C, resulting in small-size and deep dimples. The shear localization reduced the uniform deformation ability and accelerated the fracture process along shear bands, leading to a plateau in uniform elongation and total elongation in the range of 350–550 °C. The higher capability to tolerate the localized deformation through sustained necking resulted in a significant increase in the total elongation above 550 °C.

Austenitic stainless steels are selected as candidate materials for in-core and out-of-core components of Generation-IV fast reactors due to their excellent operating experience in light-water reactors over several decades. However, the performance of conventional austenitic stainless steels proves to be inadequate through operation feedback in fast reactors. To withstand the demands for material performance exposure to the extreme operating environment of fast reactors, modified austenitic stainless steels for in-core and out-of-core components have been developed from the first-generation 300-series steels. The design of an appropriate microstructure becomes a top priority for improving material performance, and key metallurgical features including δ-ferrite content, grain size and secondary phase precipitation pertinent to austenitic stainless steel are focused on in this paper. δ-ferrite content and grain size are closely correlated with the fabrication program and their effects on mechanical properties, especially creep and fatigue properties are critically assessed. Moreover, the impacts of some major elements including nitrogen, stabilization elements (Nb, Ti, V), phosphorus and boron on secondary phase precipitation behaviors during aging or creep are reviewed in detail. Based on the role of the aforementioned metallurgical features, the recommended specification of nitrogen content, stabilization ratio, phosphorus content, boron content, δ-ferrite content and grain size are put forward to guarantee the best-expected performance, which could provide reactors designers with attractive options to optimize fast reactor systems.