Fatigue behavior of 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel under in situ irradiation with 17 MeV protons at 60 °C

Load-controlled fatigue tests in the mode of tension–tension were performed for the side-notched 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel under in situ irradiation and following irradiation with 17 MeV protons at 60 °C. In comparison with the unirradiation tests, fatigue life was substantially prolonged for in situ irradiation tests, while a slight increase of fatigue life was detected in post-irradiation condition. The SEM measurements of spacing of fatigue striations on fracture surface suggested higher resistance to fatigue fracture in the in situ irradiation specimens. Some essential differences in the irradiation effects between in situ and post-irradiation conditions were summarized in this paper.