Ratcheting and low cycle fatigue behavior of SA333 steel and their life prediction

Ratcheting and low cycle fatigue (LCF) experiments have been conducted at 25 degrees C temperature in laboratory environment under different loading conditions. SA333 steel exhibits cyclic hardening throughout its life during LCF. It is found that ratcheting strain increases with both increasing mean stress and stress amplitude. It has also been noticed that plastic strain amplitude and plastic strain energy decrease with increase in mean stress at constant stress amplitude. Ratcheting and LCF life in the range of 10(2)-10(5) cycles have been predicted with the help of a mean stress-based fatigue lifing equation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.