Abstract
To enhance power plant efficiency, global projects aim to increase operating temperatures to 700 °C (1292 °F) and beyond, surpassing the capabilities of conventional ferritic and austenitic steel alloys and necessitating the use of nickel-based alloys like Alloy 617. This study evaluated the fatigue and creep-fatigue performance of Alloy 617, including both parent metal and welds, at 650 °C (1202 °F). Tests were conducted on virgin material, service-aged samples (up to 25,000 hours), and material over-aged at 800 °C (1472 °F) for 1,000 hours. Results indicated that service aging only slightly reduced the pure fatigue properties of Alloy 617, but significantly decreased its life under creep-fatigue conditions. The creep-fatigue life of ex-service welds was reduced to less than one-third of that of virgin parent metal. The data suggests that the introduction of a tensile hold period impacts Alloy 617's life more than Alloy 263 but less than Alloy 740, potentially linked to the cyclic strength of the alloys. The reduction in life for Alloy 617 is notably greater than that observed in conventional ferritic alloys.
