Mechanical properties at low and high strain-rates of AISI 316L stainless steel thermally aged in sodium

Specimens of solution treated AISI 316L have been submitted to thermal ageing at 5000C in sodium for a time up to 30,000 hours. The specimens have been submitted to tensile tests at strain-rates ranging from 0.35.10-2 s-1 to 600 s-1 at 400, 500 and 5500C test temperatures. The effect of thermal ageing is moderate, characterized by an apparent slight dynamic softening at large deformations and medium strain-rate probably due to the strain ageing at low strain-rate, and by a moderate gain of overall ductility with respect to the as-received material. (author)