Thermal fatigue behaviour of different candidate structural materials: a comparative study

Some structural steels have been tested in a relevant thermal fatigue condition and their behaviour analysed to have a first indication about the effects of thermally induced cyclic loading on time to failure of a tokamak structural component. The behaviour of four reduced activation ferrous alloys has been compared to that of two `conventionalʹ high-medium strength martensitic steels and also to austenitic AISI 316 L(N). The conventional alloys have demonstrated their superiority, and an unexpected, quite good behaviour of the austenitic steel was also observed.