Does any one know where to find data for fatigue life of carbon steel to stainless steel weld? I would like to compare it with the fatigue life of a carbon steel:carbon steel weld.
Besides EPRI, I do not know a data source from memory. But I can cretainly say there is a finite life for dissimiliar metal welds. In power plant application, we expect failures in as little as 15 years. Dependant upon temperature, cycles, weld prep and defects, some have lasted longer. But they will fail.
I believe power plant stainless to carbon steel welds fail from differential thermal expansion at temperatures somewhere around 600F or higher, plus diffusion of carbon from the steel into the weld. State-of-the-art, or so I understand, is to use ENiCrFe-3, a.k.a. Inconel 182, covered electodes. The welds still fail eventually but last I knew that electrode was the best of an inadequate lot for this application.
So what is your application? Does it involve temperature? What stainless did you have in mind?