Aging constants for efficient fracture toughness prediction of thermally aged GTAW/SMAW of 316L stainless steel

This paper presents closed-form expressions of the thermal aging constant to predict fracture toughness of thermally aged SMAW and GTAW 316 L stainless steels. Based on the data thermally aged at 350 °C up to 15,000 h and at 400 °C up to 8,000 h; and tested at room and operating temperatures (288 °C), closed-form approximations are given in terms of the aging time and temperature using an exponential function. Comparison of the predicted toughness with experimental data shows that the thermal aging time and temperature effects on toughness reduction can be predicted, although there exists quite scattering in experimental toughness data of weldment.