Thermo-mechanical fatigue properties of a ferritic stainless steel for solid oxide fuel cell interconnect

Thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of a newly developed ferritic stainless steel (Crofer 22 H) for planar solid oxide fuel cell (pSOFC) interconnect is investigated. TMF tests under various combinations of cyclic mechanical and thermal loadings are conducted in air at a temperature range of 25 degrees C-800 degrees C. Experimental results show the number of cycles to failure for non-hold-time TMF loading is decreased with an increase in the minimum stress applied at 800 degrees C. There is very little effect of maximum stress applied at 25 degrees C on the number of cycles to failure. The non-hold-time TMF life is dominated by a fatigue mechanism involving cyclic high-temperature softening plastic deformation. A hold-time of 100 h for the minimum stress applied at 800 degrees C causes a significant drop of number of cycles to failure due to a synergistic action of fatigue and creep. Creep and creep fatigue interaction mechanisms are the two primary contributors to the hold-time TMF damage. The creep damage ratio in the hold-time TMF damage is increased with a decrease in applied stress at 800 degrees C and an increase in number of cycles to failure. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.