Effects of Loading Frequency on Fatigue Behavior, Residual Stress, and Microstructure of Deep-Rolled Stainless Steel AISI 304 at Elevated Temperatures

Abstract

The effects of loading frequency on the fatigue behavior of non-deep-rolled (NDR) and deep-rolled (DR) austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 were systematically clarified at elevated temperatures, especially at temperatures exhibiting the dynamic strain aging (DSA) phenomena. Tension-compression fatigue tests were performed isothermally at temperatures of 573 K and 773 K (300 °C and 500 °C) with different loading frequencies of 5, 0.5, 0.05, and 0.005 Hz. For the DR condition, the residual stresses and work-hardening states will be presented. It was found that DSA would be detected at appropriate temperatures and deformation rates. The cyclic deformation curves and the fatigue lives of the investigated austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 are considerably affected by the DSA, especially on the DR condition having high dislocation densities at the surface and in near-surface regions. In the temperature range of the DSA, residual stresses and work-hardening states of the DR condition seem to be stabilized. The microstructural alterations were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At an appropriate temperature with low loading frequency, the plastic deformation mechanism shifted from a wavy slip manner to a planar slip manner in the DSA regimes, whereas the dislocation movements were obstructed.