Effect of tungsten on tensile properties and flow behaviour of RAFM steel

Effect of tungsten in the range of 1–2 wt.% on tensile properties and flow behaviour of 9Cr–W–Ta–V Reduced Activation Ferritic–Martensitic (RAFM) steel has been investigated. The tungsten in the investigated range was found to have only minor effect on the tensile properties of the steel over the temperature range of 300–873 K and at a strain rate of 3 × 10−3 s−1. The tensile flow behaviour of the RAFM steels was adequately described by the Voce’s constitutive equation. The tensile strength of the steels were predicted well from the parameters of the Voce’s constitutive equation. The Voce’s strain hardening parameter ‘nv’ was found to be quite sensitive to the tungsten content and predicted the onset of dislocation climbing process at relatively higher testing temperature with the increase in tungsten content. The equivalence between tensile and creep deformations and the influence of tungsten have been discussed.