Influence of martensitic transformation on the low-cycle fatigue behaviour of 316LN stainless steel at 77 K

Tensile and low-cycle fatigue tests were performed on a 316LN austenitic stainless steel at 300 and 77 K. The tensile and low-cycle fatigue properties were obtained and analysed in terms of influence of temperature on the plastic deformation process, and particularly on the strain-induced martensite formation. The martensite content was measured by a magnetic-at-saturation method. No martensite was detected at 300 K. On the contrary, strain-induced martensite transformation is responsible for the higher tensile elongation at 77 K and for the secondary hardening observed on softening-hardening curves in low-cycle fatigue at 77 K. The induced martensite content in tensile tests is a function of the strain according to Angelʹs model, and in low-cycle fatigue it is a function of the strain level and of the accumulated plastic strain.