Proceedings of the ASME 2015 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference

PVP2015
July 19-23, 2015, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

PVP2015-45992

The Effect of Tertiary Creep on Allowable Stress Values for

Type 304 and 316 Stainless Steel for Elevated Temperature
Nuclear Component Design

Mainak Sengupta and J. E. Nestell

MPR Associates, Inc
Alexandria, VA, USA

ABSTRACT Keywords: Type 304, Type 316, Tertiary Creep, Larson-

Miller Analysis
The design and construction rules for nuclear components
at elevated temperatures are currently in the ASME BPV Code, NOMENCLATURE
Section III, Division 1, Subsection NH, and will soon be
incorporated in the new Section III, Division 5. The current DOE Department of Energy
allowable stresses are limited to 300,000 hours, which is Gen IV Generation IV
equivalent to a 40-year design life. As a part of the Next LMP Larson Miller Parameter
Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) initiative, the allowable NGNP Next Generation Nuclear Plant
stress values are being revised to include higher temperatures NIMS National Institute of Material Science Japan
and longer lifetimes. This is expected to support the design and ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory
construction of high temperature reactors for sixty-year SS Stainless Steel
(500,000-hour) design lifetimes. The technical bases for the Smt lower of Sm and St allowable stress
revised temperature and time dependent stress allowable values Sr expected minimum stress-to-rupture strength
for Type 304 and Type 316 stainless steels are presented in this St temperature and time dependant stress
paper. Since the allowable stresses at elevated temperatures are St3 minimum stress to initiate tertiary creep
controlled by creep, the revised allowable stresses are based on S1% average stress required to obtain 1% strain
Larson-Miller parametric analyses of creep data from Oak tr time to rupture
Ridge and NIMS, some of which was not available when the t3 time to tertiary creep
current allowable stresses were computed. The time-dependent εss strain at time-to-tertiary creep
stress intensity values (St) are based on ASME rules covering
time to rupture, time to reach 1% strain and time to reach the INTRODUCTION
onset of tertiary creep. The effect of the tertiary creep criterion The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has established a
on St at long times and high temperatures is significant. The program to develop next generation nuclear reactors. This
tertiary creep criterion applied to the current Oak Ridge and program, known as Generation IV (Gen IV), addresses research
NIMS data results in lower and more conservative high and development (R&D) activities that are necessary to develop
temperature and long time allowable stress values than those high efficiency, next generation nuclear power plants such as
currently in Section III, NH. The potential reasons for the high temperature gas-cooled and liquid-cooled reactors. One of
limiting tertiary creep effects are discussed, with the conclusion the challenges identified by this program was the development
that the ASME graphical method specified to determine the of necessary codes and standards to support the design and
onset of tertiary creep from the creep data is not appropriate for construction of Gen IV reactors.
Type 316 stainless steel.

1 Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

 The design and construction rules for nuclear components
at elevated temperatures are in the ASME BPV Code, Section
III, Division 1, Subsection NH, and will soon be incorporated
in the new Section III, Division 5. The current elevated
temperature allowable stresses are limited to 300,000 hours,
which is sufficient for a 40-year design life. As a part of the
Gen IV program, the allowable stress values are being revised
to include higher temperatures and longer lifetimes. This is
expected to support the design and construction of high
temperature reactors for sixty-year (500,000-hour) design
lifetimes.
The current stress allowable values for Type 304 and Type
316 stainless steel (SS) in Section III, NH were developed
using creep databases that were significantly smaller than the
currently available creep data. Temperature and time dependant
allowable stress values for Type 304 and Type 316 SS were
revised over the entire temperature and time range using the Figure 1. A “Classical” Creep Curve Showing Calculation of
currently available databases from Oak Ridge and NIMS. tSS – Time-to-Tertiary Creep.

SECTION III, NH ST CRITERIA

Section III, NH requires that the elevated temperature, time The LMP of a creep dataset is calculated in accordance with the
dependant stress, St, be calculated based on the lowest of the following formula:
following three criteria:
 100% of the average stress required to obtain a total Equation 1
(elastic, plastic, primary, and secondary creep) strain
of 1% (S1%), where,
 80% of the minimum stress to cause initiation of
tertiary creep (St3), and LMP is Larson Miller Parameter
 67% of the minimum stress-to-rupture (Sr). T is temperature,
tr is the time-to-rupture, hours
In a “classical” creep curve (shown in Figure 1), the time- C is the heat or overall lot constant
to-tertiary creep is defined as the 0.2% offset strain from a
slope tangent to the minimum or “steady state” creep rate. This If we represent the stress dependence as a polynomial in log(S),
criterion was developed in the formative days of ASME Code we can equate the stress state to the LMP yielding a general
Case 1331-5. Tertiary creep was included as a design criterion relation between stress, temperature and time to rupture:
because tertiary creep is traditionally associated with void
nucleation and coalescence in metals. Void coalescence could , or Equation 2
lead to micro-cracks resulting in fracture or fissure of critical
components. The onset of tertiary creep usually occurs late
(close to rupture) in life for most metals that demonstrate
classic creep behavior.
Equation 3
ANALYSES
Where S is the applied stress, MPa, and a0, a1, and a2 are
The allowable stress values for Type 304 and Type 316 SS
coefficients calculated from the regression analysis of the creep
were developed using Larson Miller Parameter (LMP)
rupture data.
analyses. The LMP analysis method is widely used to extend
The stress dependence in equation 3 is often expressed as
the creep properties to times and temperatures beyond the test
a second order polynomial in log(S) because this order often
data. Long-term creep data (greater than 100,000 hours or
best fits the data. But in cases where the database is relatively
approximately 12 years) is difficult to develop as these tests are
small, a linear log (S) dependence is sufficient. Equation 3 is
expensive. The analytical methods for calculating the
assumed to also be suitable for relating temperature and stress
allowable stress values are discussed in detail only for Type 316
to other creep-related phenomenon, such as the time to the
SS here since the methods used for Type 304 SS are identical
onset of tertiary creep or the time to reach 1% strain.
and the results similar.

2 Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

 The creep database for Type 316 SS was compiled by
ASME working group members using data from ORNL, NIMS
and ASTM tests. The database consisted of data from creep
tests performed at 900ºF (485ºC) to 1800ºF (985ºC). The
maximum rupture time was 222,700 hours. 1770 data points
reported rupture time, 307 data points reported time-to-tertiary
creep and 163 data points reported time-to-1% strain data.
Some data were censored from the database because they either
were outliers and inconsistent with the overall trend of the
creep data (data that were ten (10) standard deviations from the
mean), were very short term rupture data (less than 100 hours),
or were from heats that were identified to have anomalous
creep strength properties [1].
After the data were censored, lot-centered LMP analyses
were performed on the time-to-rupture, time-to-tertiary, and
time-to-1% strain data. A plot of the stress versus LMP and
comparison with the calculated Larson-Miller fit for the rupture
database is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Stress versus LMP for Rupture Analysis of 316 SS.
Figure 3 shows the linear regression LMP analysis of the
time-to-tertiary creep data. These data were taken from the
NIMS database where tertiary creep times were reported. We
did not have access to actual creep curves.
The lot constants, C, and the log(S) coefficients of the
regression analysis were used for calculating stress values at the
required temperatures and lifetimes. Actual fitted coefficients
are provided in Reference 1. The St values in ksi for Type 316
SS are shown in Figure 4, which is based on the three criteria
discussed at the beginning of the section.
3 Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use
Figure 3. Stress versus LMP for Time-to-Tertiary Creep
Analysis of 316 SS.
EFFECT OF TERTIARY CREEP ON DESIGN
ALLOWABLES
The allowable stress table in Figure 4 can be partitioned
into areas where each of the stress criteria controls. This is
shown in Figure 4. The short time, low temperature St values
are controlled by the average stress at 1% strain, and the long
time and high temperature stress values are controlled by time-
to-tertiary creep. Surprisingly, the creep rupture times control
little of the table.
Bhargava et al. show that diffusion creep controls the very
low stress (less than 1.5 ksi), very high temperature (above
1400°F) creep behavior of stainless steel [2]. Since there are
limited data available at low stress, long rupture times (beyond
100,000 hrs) and high temperatures, it is difficult to account for
diffusion creep in the regression analysis. Therefore, the very
long time and very high temperature (right bottom corner)
allowable stress values were censored from the St table, see
Figure 4.
A comparison of the revised St values with the current
Section III, NH values are shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6. The
data are presented for two times: 100,000 hours and 300,000
hours. The 100,000 hour plot shows that the revised values are
higher at low temperatures and much lower at high
temperatures where the values are controlled by the time-to-
tertiary creep criterion. The higher values at low temperatures
are due to a change in the 1% strain selection criterion from
minimum to average stress. The 300,000 hour revised values
are lower than the current Section III, NH values at all
temperatures. We find that the revised allowable stress values
are much lower than the current values at high temperatures
and long times, and that tertiary creep significantly impacts
most of the revised long time, high temperature allowable stress
values.
 Figure 4. Criteria Controlling St for Type 316 SS.

Stress Stress
(ksi) (ksi)

Temperature (°F) Temperature (°F)

Figure 5. Current and Revised St Values at 100,000 Hrs. Figure 6. Current and Revised St Values at 300,000 Hrs.

DISCUSSION Leyda and Rowe proposed that FS is a constant at a

When the criteria for calculating the allowable stress
values were discussed in ASME Working Group meetings over
forty years ago, limited tertiary creep data were available.
Therefore, the developers of the current allowables used
correlation factors proposed by Leyda and Rowe to estimate the
time-to-tertiary creep from time-to-rupture. Leyda and Rowe
had proposed that tertiary creep could be correlated to rupture
by a simple proportionality factor [3]. Their proposed
correlation is shown below:
Equation 4
particular temperature, and decreases with increasing
temperature. Current Code values appear to be based on time-
to-tertiary creep determined by the Leyde-Rowe Fs values
applied to rupture data. It was found that the time to reach 1%
strain criterion governed St at the lowest temperatures and
shortest times, whereas the tertiary creep criterion governed at
the high temperatures and long times, which is similar to our
results for the stainless steels, but where our analysis is based
on actual tertiary creep data.
We decided to investigate the robustness of the Leyda
Rowe assumption by determining Fs values from two data
sources: NIMS Type 316 stainless steel data and Type 316
stainless steel data from a well characterized heat that was
reported in Reference 5. Figures 7 and 8 show the distribution

4 Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

 of the factor Fs (ratio between the time-to-tertiary creep and
time-to-rupture (t3/tr)) versus temperature from these two
sources. As seen in Figures 7 and Figure 8, Fs does not appear
to be a constant; there is wide variation in t3/tr at each
temperature of interest. Thus, currently available tertiary creep
data do not support the Leyda and Rowe hypothesis. Our
observations also raise questions regarding the validity of the
current allowable stress values since they largely depend on
time-to-tertiary creep, which was calculated based on Leyda
and Rowe correlation factors.
1.2
Time to Tertiary Creep/Time to Rupture
Sikka [4] have also reported similar “non-classical” behavior in
Type 316 stainless steel
Yagi and Abe report that creep behavior of Type 316 SS is
complex and does not follow the “classical” creep behavior [7].
A plot of creep rate versus time, shown in Figure 13, shows that
at high stresses, there is no substantial steady state creep region,
whereas at lower stresses, the creep curve shows several
minima. Yagi and Abe postulate that these minima in the creep
rate curve indicate microstructural changes due to recovery of
excess dislocations, the precipitation and subsequent coarsening
of secondary phases such as carbides, etc.

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

932 1112 1292 1472 1652

Temperature (F)
Figure 7. Fs Calculated from the Type 316 SS Database.

Figure 9. Creep Curves of Type 316 SS [6].

Figure 8. Fs Calculated from the Type 316 SS Data in

Reference 5.

In the formative years of high temperature Code

development, tertiary creep was included as a design criterion
since the onset of tertiary creep is assumed to mark the onset of
creep instability in an alloy. This material instability can be
clearly seen in a “classical” creep behavior (see Figure 1).
Figure 10. Non-Classical Creep Curve of Type 316 SS
However, Type 316 SS often displays “non-classical” creep
(Actual Data) [4].
behavior. Figure 9 shows Type 316 stainless steel creep curves
where no steady state creep is observed. Figure 10 shows
another non-classical creep curve where possible metallurgical
changes affect the steady state creep behavior. Booker and

5 Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

 The ASME defines onset of tertiary creep as the time at
which a line drawn parallel to, and offset 0.2% above the
secondary creep line, intersects the creep curve, as illustrated in
Figure 1. This graphical method for estimating time-to-tertiary
creep works for “classical” creep curves demonstrating steady
state secondary creep since it appears to predict the onset of
tertiary creep late in the creep life as would be expected.
However, estimating tertiary creep in a “non-classical” creep
curve is difficult since the strain-time curve may not show any
transition from secondary to tertiary creep, or may have
multiple humps in the creep strain curve. It is not clear how
tertiary creep was determined from “non-classical” creep
curves in the past, and whether the time-to-tertiary creep
reported by NIMS and others represents an actual creep
phenomenon, or if it is simply a mathematically calculated
value with no physical basis. For non-classical creep behavior,
the time-to-tertiary creep value calculated by the ASME offset
method may be far too early in creep life. This is shown for the Figure 12. Example Non-Classical Creep Curve of
case where the creep curve has no secondary to tertiary creep Type 316 SS (not actual data).
transition (shown in Figure 11), or shows multiple transitions
(Figure 12), in which case the earliest transition is usually
reported as tertiary creep. Thus, the reported values of time-to-
tertiary creep from “non-classical” creep curves tend be overly
conservative.
Instead of the power-law creep model, other models such
as the Theta-projection model could be used to explain creep
curves that do not display any steady state “secondary” creep
[8]. But such models do not provide any information regarding
the onset of actual creep damage such as void coalescence, and
do not assist the analyst in selecting tertiary creep allowable
stresses based on physical damage.

Figure 13. Creep Rate versus Time Curves of Type 316 SS

Show Multiple Minima that Indicate Microstructural Changes
Due to Possible Precipitation of Secondary Phases [7].

CONCLUSION
The revised allowable stress values of Type 304 and Type
316 SS are developed using LMP analyses. In general, the use
of the new NIMS and ORNL data led to lower Sr and St
allowable stress values compared to the current values. Tertiary
creep significantly impacts the revised long time and high
temperature St allowable stress values for both Type 304 and
Type 316 SS. These revised allowable stress values, if used for
high temperature design, will lead to thicker walled
Figure 11. Example Non-Classical Creep Curves of components that will cost more, and may require the
Type 316 SS (not actual data). development of new inspection technologies. Surprisingly, the
time to rupture criterion controls very few St values.

6 Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

 Since current allowable stress values are based on Leyda 7. K. Yagi and F. Abe, “Creep-resistant Steels,”
and Rowe correlation factors for calculating the time-to-tertiary Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology,
creep from rupture data, we examined the new data to Volume 2C, Elsevier Publication, 2001.
determine if a proportionality can be established between 8. R. W. Evans, J. D. Parker and B. Wilshire, “The Theta
reported time-to-tertiary creep and rupture. We found that Projection Concept – A Model-based Approach to
tertiary creep could not be correlated to rupture with a simple Design and Life Extension of Engineering Plant,”
proportionality. This raises questions regarding the validity of International Journal of Pressure Vessel and Piping,
the Leyda and Rowe method used to determine current Volume 50, pp. 147-160, 1992.
allowable stress values.
The potential reasons for the limiting tertiary creep effects
were investigated. The ASME graphical method for estimating
tertiary creep requires a well-defined “classical” creep curve.
However, Type 316 SS does not always display a “classical”
creep behavior, which leads to overly conservative estimates of
time-to-tertiary creep. Thus, the current ASME graphical
method to determine the onset of tertiary creep from the creep
data does not appear to be appropriate for the stainless steels,
especially Type 316 SS.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was performed as a part of Task 14A,
“Correction and Extension of the Allowable Stress Values for
Type 304 and 316 Stainless Steels to 500,000 Hours” for
ASME Standards and Technology LLC.

REFERENCES
1. M. Sengupta and J. E. Nestell, Task 14A, “Correct and
Extend Allowable Stress Values for 304 and 316
Stainless Steel,” ASME ST LLC, Revision 2, October,
2013.
2. R. K. Bhargava, J. Moteff, and R. W. Swindeman,
“The Dislocation Substructure, Carbides and the
Deformation Mechanism Map for AISI 304 Stainless
Steel”, Metallurgical Transactions A, Volume 7A, pp.
879-884, June 1976.
3. W. E. Leyda and J. P. Rowe, “A Study of the Time for
Departure from Secondary Creep for Eighteen Steels,”
Materials Engineering Exposition & Congress -
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Technical Report Number
P9-6.1, American Society for Metals, October, 1969.
4. M. K. Booker and V. K. Sikka, “A Study of Tertiary
Creep Instability in Several Elevated Temperature
Structural Materials,” Ductility and Toughness
Considerations in Elevated Temperature Service,
MPC-8, pp. 325 to 343, ASME, New York, 1978.
5. G. H. Rowe, J. R. Stewart and K. N. Burgess, “Capped
End, Thin-Wall Tube Creep-Rupture Behavior for
Type 316 Stainless Steel,” Journal of Fluids
Engineering, Volume 85(1), pp. 71-86, March 1963.
6. NIMS Creep Database, “Micrographs and
Microstructural Characteristics of Crept Specimens of
18Cr-12Ni-Mo Stainless Steel for Boiler and Heat
Exchanger Seamless Tubes (SUS 316H TB),”
Metallographic Atlas of Long-term Crept Material,
Number M-2, March 31, 2003.

7 Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Downloaded From: https://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org on 01/07/2019 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use