Degradation evaluation using miniaturized tensile samples

Abstract

Many power plant operators are currently struggling with the problem of expiring the design life of components. The question often arises whether to continue the operation of the equipment or if it is already necessary to shut down/overhaul it. The knowledge of mechanical properties is therefore crucial. Semi-destructive sampling, subsequent production of mini tensile test specimens (M-TT) followed by mechanical testing can then provide the necessary information. The agreement between the results obtained using miniaturized and standard bodies has already been proven by many authors. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the use of M-TT is possible even in the case of severely degraded materials. The experiment was performed on SUPER 304H austenitic steel in the ground state and in the degraded state