Evaluation of Elastic-Plastic Fracture Toughness of Aged AISI 316 Steel Using DC-electric Potential Method

직류전위차법을 이용한 AISI 316강 시효재의 탄소성 파괴인성 평가

AISI 316 steel has been used extensively for heater and boiler tube of the structural plants such as power, chemical and petroleum plants under severe operating conditions. Usually, material degradation due to microcrack or precipitation of carbides and segregation of impurity elements, is occured by damage accumulated for long-term service at high temperature in this material. In this study, the effect of aging time on fracture toughness was investigated to evaluate the measurement of material degradation. The elastic-plastic fracture toughness behaviour of AISI 316 steel pipe aged at $550^{\circ}C$for 1h-10000h (the aged material) was characterized using the single specimen J-R curve technique and eletric potential drop method at normal loading rate(load-line displacement speed of 0.2mm/min) in room temperature and air environment. The fracture toughness data from above experiments is compared with the $J_{in}$ obtained from predicted values of crack initiation point using potential drop method.