Characterization of a 14Cr ODS steel by means of small punch and uniaxial testing with regard to creep and fatigue at elevated temperatures

A 14Cr ODS steel was characterized at elevated temperatures with regard to its behavior in small punch and uniaxial creep tests and in low cycle fatigue tests. A comparison of small punch and uniaxial creep tests at 650 °C revealed a strong anisotropy of the material when strained parallel and perpendicular to the extrusion direction with rupture times being several orders of magnitude lower for the perpendicular direction. The stress-rupture and Larson–Miller plots show a very large scatter of the creep data. This scatter is strongly reduced when rupture time is plotted against minimum deflection rate or minimum creep rate (Monkman–Grant plot). Fatigue tests have been carried out at 650 °C and 750 °C. The alloy is cyclically very stable with practically no hardening/softening. Results from the tests at both temperatures can be described by a common power law. An increase in the test temperature has little influence on the fatigue ductility exponent. For a given total strain level, the fatigue life of the alloy is reduced with increasing temperature.