Effects of pretest aging on creep crack growth properties of type 308 austenitic stainless steel weld metals

Type 308 austenitic stainless steel weld metals made by SMAW and FCAW were used in order to quantitatively determine the effects of bismuth segregation and sigma phase precipitation as a result of high temperature pretest aging on creep crack growth properties. Tests were conducted using CT-type specimens and the data derived were arranged according to the parameter C ∗. The creep crack growth rate is significantly higher in cases where the metal contains a large amount of bismuth and where sigma phases have adequately precipitated.