EVALUATION OF DAMAGE IN STEELS SUBJECTED TO EXPLOITATION LOADING - DESTRUCTIVE AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE METHODS

Damage due to creep and plastic flow is assessed using destructive and non-destructive methods in steels (40HNMA and P91). In the destructive methods the standard tension tests were carried out after prestraining and variations of the selected tension parameters were taken into account for damage identification. In order to assess a damage development during the creep and plastic deformation the tests for both steels were interrupted for a range of the selected strain magnitudes. The ultrasonic and magnetic techniques were used as the non-destructive methods for damage evaluation. The last step of the experimental programme contained microscopic observations. A very promising correlation between parameters of methods for damage development evaluation was achieved. It is well proved for (lie ultimate tensile stress and birefringence coefficient.