Control of dislocation density maximizing precipitation strengthening effect

The strength-ductility trade-off has been the most challenging problem for structural metals for centuries.Nanoprecipitation strengthening is an ideal approach to enhance the strength without significantly sacrificing the ductility.Stable nanoprecipitates have been successfully acquired by nanostructural design,but the number density of nanoprecipitates cannot be further increased.Researchers attempted to enhance number density by introducing highly potent nucleation sites(e.g.,dislocations).However,there remains controversy over the influence of dislocations on the nucleation and growth of coherent nanoprecipitates with minimized nucleation barrier.Here,Cu-rich nanoprecipitates in an HSLA steel,as a typical type of coherent nanoprecipitates,are investigated.By combining analytical calculation and experiments,we show that dislocations are harmful for the formation of large numbered Cu-rich nanoprecipitates in a certain density range.Insufficient dislocations deprive solute atoms which decrease homogenous precipitation that cannot be compensated by the increase in heterogeneous precipitation.Under such circumstance,Cu-rich nanoprecipitates have smaller number density but larger size and higher fraction of incoherent structures due to rapid Ostwald ripening.As a result,by controlling dislocation density,the yield strength is increased by 24%without obvious loss in ductility as compared with traditional solution-quench-age process.Our work would help to optimize composition and processing routes that fully exploit the nanoprecipitation strengthening effect.

On the microstructural origin of premature failure of creep strength enhanced martensitic steels

The creep strength enhanced martensitic steels are key material for the main power generating units in ultra-supercritical plants.Studies on the evaluation of their creep rupture life show there is an overestimation of rupture life after long-term creep,which is known as premature failure.However,the microstructural origin of the premature failure remains unclear.Here in this study,we have carefully investigated the microstructural transformations and their influences on creep rupture behavior,showing that the evolution of martensite and M_(23)C_(6) carbides as well as Laves phase are responsible for the premature failure.By using multi-step TTP-LMP method,we confirmed a three-stage creep rupture behavior under different stress regions.Further quantitative analysis showed that the coarsening of M_(23)C_(6) carbides and recovery of martensite exert equal and dominant effects on the premature failure in the medium stress region,while precipitation and coarsening of Laves phase are responsible for the premature failure in the low stress region.