Mean Stress Effect on the Fatigue Life of 304L Austenitic Steel in Air and PWR Environments Determined with Strain- and Load-Controlled Experiments

The mean stress effect on the fatigue life of 304L austenitic steel was evaluated at 300 °C in air and pressurized water reactor (PWR) environments. Uniaxial tests were performed strain-control load-control modes, with zero a positive 50 MPa. A specific procedure used for strain-controlled experiments to maintain strain amplitude constant. data indicate that application decreases given PWR also show reduction is independent environments, suggesting no synergistic effects between LWR environment occur. load-controlled confirm increases due cyclic hardening processes. This observation much less pronounced environment. All analyzed using Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT) stress–strain function, which shown correlate well all strain- without each In SWT–life curve representation, found fully consistent NUREG-CR6909 predictions.