Mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels in sodium

A detailed review of the mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels in liquid sodium is presented. Consideration is given to the influences of the impurities in reactor sodium and metallurgical variables upon the the stress-rupture life, the low cycle fatigue and combined creep/fatigue resistance, elastic-plastic fatigue crack propagation rates, the high cycle fatigue life, tensile properties and fracture toughness. The effects of exposure to contaminated sodiums prior to testing are also discussed. Examples of the success of mechanistic interpretations of materials behaviour in sodium are given and, additionally, the extent to which mechanical properties in sodium may be predicted with the use of appropriate data. (author)