Generation of residual stress and plastic strain in a fracture mechanics specimen to study the formation of creep damage in type 316 stainless steel

Residual stresses are created in type 316H stainless steel fracture mechanics specimens using the process of local out-of-plane compression (LOPC). Three sets of LOPC tools are used to create different distributions of residual stress near to the crack tip. Also the tools create different levels of prior plastic strain. Residual stresses are measured using the neutron diffraction method and compared with the stress predictions obtained from finite element (FE) simulations of LOPC. The specimens are then subjected to thermal exposure at 550 ◦C for several thousand hours. A creep deformation and damage model is introduced into the FE analysis to predict the relaxation of stresses and creation of damage in the specimens. Neutron diffraction experiments are undertaken to measure the relaxed residual stresses and fractographic analysis of thermally exposed samples measured the extent of creep damage. A comparison between measured and simulated results demonstrates that the prior plastic strain has a significant effect on damage accumulation but this is not accounted for in the current creep damage models.