• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2014

The effects of environment and microstructure on low cycle fatigue (LCF) behaviors of CF8M stainless steels containing 11% of ferrites were investigated in a $310^{\circ}C$ deoxygenated water environment. The reduction of LCF life of CF8M in a $310^{\circ}C$ deoxygenated water was smaller than 316LN stainless steels. Based on the microstructure and fatigue surface analyses, it was confirmed that the hydrogen induced cracking contributed to the reduction in LCF life for CF8M as well as for 316LN. However, many secondary cracks were found on the boundaries of ferrite phases in CF8M, which effectively reduced the stress concentration at the crack tip. Because of the reduced stress concentration, the accelerated fatigue crack growth by hydrogen induced cracking was less significant, which resulted in the smaller environmental effects for CF8M than 316LN in a $310^{\circ}C$ deoxygenated water.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.118-123
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• 2004

Cast austenitic stainless steel have been widely used for primary coolant piping in light water reactors. This material is subject to thermal embrittlement at reactor operating temperature. CF-8M and CF-8A cast austenitic stainless steel is used for several components, such as primary coolant piping, elbow, pump casing, and valve bodies in light water reactors. Thermal embrittlement results in spinodal decomposition of delta-ferrite leading to decreased fracture toughness. In this study, the specimens were prepared using an accelerated aging method. The measurement of ferrite content, Charpy impact test and J-R test were performed to verify the predicting equation for aged material properties. In case of above 25% ferrite content, predicted result of J-R curve might be non-conservative.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.131-136
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• 2003

CF8M cast austenitic stainless steel is used for several components such as primary coolant piping, elbow, pump casing, and valve bodies in light water reactors. These components are subject to thermal aging at the reactor operating temperature. Thermal aging results in spinodal decomposition of the delta-ferrite leading to increased strength and decreased toughness. In this study, three kinds of the aged CF8M specimen were prepared using an artificially simulated aging method. The objective of this study is to summarize the method of estimating ferrite contents, Charpy impact energy and J-R curve, and to evaluate the thermal embrittlement of the CF8M cast austenitic stainless steel piping used in the domestic nuclear power plants.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.136.2-136.2
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• 2005

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.8 s.179
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• pp.1910-1916
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• 2000

The five classes of the thermally aged CF8M specimen are prepared using an artificially accelerated aging method. Namely, after the specimens are held for 100, 300, 900, 1800, and 3600hrs at 430$^{\circ}C$ respectively, the specimens are water-cooled to room temperature. The impact energy variations are measures for both the aged and virgin specimens through the Charpy impact tests in addition to the microstructure observation, tensile, hardness and fatigue crack growth tests. From the present investigation the following results are obtained : 1) The difference among the thermally degraded specimens can be distinguished through their microstructures, 2) Hardness and tensile strength are increased to 300hrs, degradation specimen, while elongation and reduction area are decreased to 3600hrs degradation specimen, and impact energy is decreased to 1800hrs degradation specimen, 3) The FCG rates for thermally degraded specimens are larger than that of the virgin specimen.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.6 s.237
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• pp.815-821
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• 2005

Biaxial low cycle fatigue test was carried out to predict fatigue life under combined axial-torsional-loading condition which is that of in-phase and out-of-phase for CF8M cast stainless steels. Fatemi-Socie(FS) parameter which is based on critical plane approach is not only one of methods but also the best method that can predict fatigue life under biaxial loading condition. But the result showed that, biaxial fatigue life prediction by using FS parameter with several different parameters for the CF8M cast stainless steels is not conservative but best results. So in this present research, we proposed new fatigue life prediction parameter considering effective shear stress instead of FS parameter which considers the maximum normal stress acting on maximum shear strain and its effectiveness was verified.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.23 no.11 s.170
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• pp.2014-2021
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• 1999

The present investigation is concerned with the degradation characteristics of cast stainless steel(CF8M), exposed to the $\sigma$-phase degradation at $700^{\circ}C$. In the present paper, the degradation of CF8 M at $700^{\circ}C$ is evaluated by a non-destructive test, DL-EPR(double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation). The surface of specimens is observed by using scanning electron microscopy after DL-EPR test. Also. chromium contents of matrix, grain boundary and ferrite phase are analyzed by electron probe X-ray micro analyzer. Through the experiments, the following results are obtained 1) The degree of sensitization(DOS) of CF8M aged up to 15hr at $700^{\circ}C$ is increased with acing time while that is decreased with aging time from 15hr to 150hr. 2) The impact energy decreases with increase of $\sigma$-phase while DOS increases with $\sigma$-phase until aging time reaches to 15hr. After the aging time. 15hr, the $\sigma$-phase and the rate of impact energy with respect to aging time decreases. Therefore the degradation behavior of the CF8M can be evaluated by comparing SEM micrographs and the value of DOS.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.96-101
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• 2004

Cast austenitic stainless steel is used for several components, such as primary coolant piping, elbow, pump casing and valve bodies in light water reactors. These components are subject to thermal embrittlement at the reactor operating temperature. The objective of this study is to summarize the method of estimating ferrite content, Charpy impact energy and J-R curve and to evaluate the thermal embrittlement of the cast austenitic stainless steel piping used in the domestic nuclear power plants. The result of evaluation, two domestic nuclear power plants used CF-8M and CF-8A material has adequate fracture toughness after saturation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.10 s.181
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• pp.2405-2412
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• 2000

A cast stainless steel may experience an embrittlement when it is exposed to approximately 30$0^{\circ}C$ for long period. In the present investigation, The three classes of the thermally aged CF8M specimie n are prepared using an artificially accelerated aging method. Namely, after the specimen are held for 300, 1800 and 3600hrs. at 43$0^{\circ}C$ respectively, the specimens are quenched in water to room temperature. Load versus load line displacement curves and J-R curves are obtained using the unloading compliance method. $J_{IC}$ values are obtained following ASTM E 813-87 and ASTM E 813-81 methods. In addition to these methods, JIC values are obtained using SZW(stretch zone width) method described in JSME S 001-1981. The results of the unloading compliance method are $J_Q$=485.7 kJ/m$^2$ for virgin material, $J_{IC}$ of the degraded materials associated with 300, 1800 and 3600hrs are obtained 369.25 kJ/m$^2$, 311.02 kJ/m$^2$, 276.7 kJ/m$^2$, respectively. The results of SZW method are similar to those of the unloading compliance method. Through the elastic-plastic fracture toughness test, it is found that the value of $J_{IC}$ is decreased with increasing of the aging time. The results obtained through the investigation can provide reference data for a leak before break(LBB) of reactor coolant system of nuclear power plants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.30 no.10 s.253
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• pp.1173-1178
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• 2006

In a primary reactor cooling system(RCS), a dissimilar weld zone exists between cast stainless steel(CF8M) in a pipe and low-alloy steel(SA508 cl.3) in a nozzle. Thermal aging is observed in CF8M as the RCS is exposed for a long period of time to a reactor operating temperature between 290 and $330^{\circ}C$, while no effect is observed in SA508 cl.3. The specimens are prepared by an artificially accelerated aging technique maintained for 300, 1800 and 3600 hrs at $430^{\circ}C$, respectively. The specimens for elastic-plastic fracture toughness tests are according to the process in the thermal notch is created in the heat affected zone(HAZ) of CF8M and deposited zone. From the experiments, the $J_{IC}$ value notched in HAZ of CF8M presented a rapid decrease up to 300 hours at $430^{\circ}C$ and slowly decreased according to the process in the thermal aging time. Also, the $J_{IC}$ value presented a lower value than that of the CF8M base metal. And, the $J_{IC}$ of the deposited zone presented the lowest value of all other cases.