Carbide precipitation and element distribution in high Co-Ni secondary hardening steel

As the increasing need of the steels with both high strength and hydrogen embrittlement resistance ability, carbide precipitation and element distribution in high Co-Ni secondary hardening steel were concerned. Carbide precipitation and element distribution in M54 were observed using carbon replicas method. Both simulation and observation results showed that MC and M2C formed in the steel. MC was round particle, which would act as grain refiners. And MzC was needle-like phase, which would be remarkable strengthening phases. Nb and V were main metallic elements in MC phase. Mo and Cr were main metallic elements in MzC phase. W, Co, and Ni were probably mainly dissolved in the matrix. As the carbide precipitation in AerMetl00 was M2C, which had similar size and shape with M2C in M54, the tensile strength and yield strength of AerMetl00 and M54 were similar. Compared with traditional high Co-Ni secondary hardening steel, M54 had higher hydrogen embrittlement resistance ability, probably because of element W in the matrix.

Phase Transformation and Carbide Precipitation of Functional Gradient Semi-solid 9Cr18 Steel

The unique phase transformation and carbide evolution in 9Cr18 steel were investigated during semi-solid forming and subsequent heat treatment. The functional gradient thixoforging 9Cr18 component was divided into inner area and edge area. Microstructure evolution was different at each area. After semi-solid cooling, the solid particles in the inner area were retained as meta-austenite. During annealing, M_（23）C_6 carbide began to precipitate when temperature reached 700 °C.Martensite transformation occurred when temperature reached 800 °C. The occurrence of M_（23）C_6 carbide and martensite structure would be harmful to the mechanical properties of inner area. In the edge area, the liquid underwent eutectic transformation to form bar-shape M_7C_3 carbide and secondary austenite after semi-solid cooling. The width of bar-shape carbide would decrease during annealing. By controlling the carbide evolution, we could tailor the functional gradient material with required property.

IN SITU OBSERVATION OF LOWER BAINITIC CARBIDES PRECIPITATION

The lower bainitic carbides precipitation in 40CrMnSiMoV steel previously austempered at 310℃ was observed in situ by employing a high temperature stage of an ultra high voltage TEM(JEM-1000).The typical lower bamitic carbides were found to have precipitated from within the carbide-free bainitic ferrite after tempering for certain period at a temperature higher than that of the isothermal transformation.This revealed that the lower bainitic ferrite is supersaturated with carbon to some extent.The carbide may also precipitate from austenite, but they have no typical morphological features of lower bainitic carbide.

Precipitation of carbide and its effects on the properties of nickel-saving austenitic stainless steel

In this work,the effects of temperature and cooling rate on the precipitation of carbides in nickel-saving metastable austenitic stainless steel were studied.The test results show that the temperature range of carbide precipitation in the test steel was 500-950℃,and 750℃was the most sensitive temperature.However,when completely solution treated samples were cooled from high to room temperature at a cooling rate of more than 50 K/s,no carbides precipitated.The carbide precipitates increased the yield strength but decreased the corrosion resistance of the steel,with little impact on toughness.

Carbides/nitrides precipitates in a C-Mn strip by CSP technology

The carbides/nitrides precipitates in ferrite grains, on grain boundaries and dislocations were investigated on a hot-rolled C-Mn strip （0.16wt%C-1.22wt%Mn-0.022wt%Ti） produced by the CSP （compact strip production） technology using TEM and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The Pickering＇s equation for the contribution of precipitates to the yield stress was also discussed. It is shown that there are numerous fine and dispersive precipitates TiC in the ferrite grains, on the grain boundaries and dislocations. Also there are a small amount of coarser Ti（C, N） particles and TiC particles associated with MnS. Precipitation strengthening on steels produced by the CSP technology is significant.

Precipitation characteristics and La effects on precipitates of a new 22Cr-14W-2Mo superalloy

The microstructure and precipitation characteristics of 22Cr-14W-2Mo superalloys added with various La contents have been studied by SEM, TEM and EDX.It is found that the carbides are refined by adding La.M23C6 carbides inside the grain in a diameter of 50 nm have a cube-cube orientation relationship with the matrix, and these precipitates on {111} planes align along 110 orientation.Since the large dissolved La atom will be a barrier to atom diffusion, it leads to an inhibiting effect on the carbides growing.M6C carbides are influenced by La-S phases.La-S phases formed in the center of M6C seem to be the heterogeneous nucleus of M6C to increase the nucleation ratio.It is also noticed that finer M6C carbides precipitated on the {111} planes of the matrix are around large M6C.The finer M6C carbides are caused by the special absorption effect of La-S phases.

Precipitation Characteristics and Mechanism of Vanadium Carbides in a V-Microalloyed Medium-Carbon Steel

The precipitation characteristics and mechanism of vanadium carbides during isothermal transformation at 650℃ in aV-microalloyed medium-carbon steel were investigated through scanning electron microscopy and transmission electronmicroscopy as well as dilatometry test. Five morphologies of vanadium carbides were found to precipitate at differentnucleation sites during the transformation. Two kinds of interphase precipitation form simultaneously in both pro-eutectoidand pearlitic ferrites. The linear arrays of fine interphase precipitates are parallel to the γ/α interface, and the fine needles ofinterphase precipitates are perpendicular to the 7/ct interface. The vanadium carbides of long or short fibers, coarse particlesand fine particles form in both pro-eutectoid and pearlitic ferrites, displaying different precipitation distributions andorientation relationships with ferrite. The precipitation mechanisms of vanadium carbide precipitates with different modeswere proposed, and the precipitation sequence of various vanadium carbide precipitates was finally ascertained.

HRTEM Study on Precipitates in High Co-Ni Steel

The secondary hardening reaction is accompanied with precipitation of fine carbides in high CoNi ultrahigh strength steel. The crystal structure of the precipitating carbides is unambiguously determined by microbeam diffraction in transmission electron microscopy. It is identified that the needle-shaped carbides are M2C with a hexagonal structure. The concentration of substitutional alloying elements in the carbides quantified by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) also supports the result above. The spatial structure of M2C is identical with L'3 type. Metal atoms are in a close packed hexagonal structure, the carbon atoms partly distribute with random in the octahedral interstices and the filling probability is less than 1/2. Particular attention was paid to the relationship of needle-shaped carbides/ferrite matrix at secondary hardening peak tempered at 482癈 for 5 h. Observation by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirms that carbides with black-white contrast are fully coherent with ferrite and have individual crystal structure, and the coarsened carbides with moire' fringe are partially coherent with matrix. The orientation relationship between M2C and ferrite matrix is directly observed and identified with the well established P-S relationship [001]a //[111]c.

Heat treatment/property relationships for solid-solution strengthened superalloys

Solid-solution strengthened superalloys are widely used because they possess excellent levels of high temperature strength and environmental resistance in combination with ease of fabrication.This latter factor is of utmost importance since it is a primary economic determinant.From a metal producer's point of view,it determines the viable range of product forms that can be offered to the marketplace.From a user's point of view,it determines the viable range of manufacturing processes that can be used to make the final product.For both the producer and user,an alloy's heat treatment and property response is a central issue for defining fabricability.The areas of interest are typically quite fundamental and include such phenomena as recrystallization and grain growth,critical strain effects,relief of residual stresses,and cooling rate effects.In heat resisting alloys,these phenomena often involve subtle complexities due to the precipitation of carbides and,in some cases,the precipitation of intermetallic phases. This paper will deal with these complexities,providing relevant data and concrete examples wherever possible.The information presented should enable the proper selection of heat treatment practices for solid-solution strengthened superalloys.

Study on Y-Base Rare Earth Alloy in Ultra-High Hardfacing

The effect of Y base rare earth alloy in ultra high hardfacing was observed by means of OM, SEM and XRD. Precipitated carbide can be metamorphosed and spheroidized in surfacing by adding Y base rare earth alloy, which contributes to the increase of precipitated carbide. Rare earth combined with oxygen and sulfur can improve the morphology of slag inclusion as well as purify surfacing. The result shows proper rare earth alloy in surfacing can fine its microstructure, improve hardness and impact toughness.

Formation Mechanism of Lamellar M_(23)C_6 Carbide in a Cobalt-Base Superalloy During Thermal Exposure at 1000℃

The precipitation of the lamellar-shaped M23C6 carbide within the dendritic matrix of a cobalt-base superalloy during thermal exposure at 1000 ℃ has been investigated. Such a precipitation is not commonly observed in cobalt-base superalloys. It is found that M23C6 particles nucleate preferentially at stacking faults （SFs） in the dendritic matrix and grow along the SFs to develop a lamellar character. Additionally, a Cr depletion zone is observed in the vicinity of the lamellar M23C6 carbide, which strongly supports the presence of Suzuki segregation.

Altering the Residual Stress in High-Carbon Steel through Promoted Dislocation Movement and Accelerated Carbon Diffusion by Pulsed Electric Current

Residual stress in high-carbon steel affects the dimensional accuracy, structural stability, and integrity of components. Although the evolution of residual stress under an electric field has received extensive attention, its elimination mechanism has not been fully clarified. In this study, it was found that the residual stress of high-carbon steel could be effectively relieved within a few minutes through the application of a low density pulse current. The difference between the current pulse treatment and traditional heat treatment in reducing residual stress is that the electric pulse provides additional Gibbs free energy for the system, which promotes dislocation annihilation and carbon atom diffusion to form carbides, thus reducing the free energy of the system. The electroplastic and thermal effects of the pulse current promoted the movement of dislocations under the electric field, thus eliminating the internal stress caused by dislocation entanglement. The precipitation of carbides reduced the carbon content of the steel matrix and lattice shrinkage, thereby reducing the residual tensile stress. Considering that a pulsed current has the advantages of small size, small power requirement, continuous output, and continuously controllable parameters, it has broad application prospects for eliminating residual stress.

Effect of Post-weld Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Deposited Metal of a High- Chromium Nickel-Based Alloy

The evolution of Cr23C6 carbides in the deposited metal （DM） of a high-chromium nickel-based alloy was investigated after the post-weld heat treatment （PWHT） at 650, 750, 850, and 950 ℃, respectively. With the increase in temperature, the morphology of the Cr23C6 carbides at the grain boundaries was transformed from the continuous lamellar- like to the semi-continuous rod-like and then to the discontinuous granular. Besides, the needle-like Cr23C6 carbides precipitated from 7 matrix after PWHT at 850 ℃. The coarsening kinetics of the needle-like Cr23C6 carbides obeyed the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner law with the growth speed of 4.93 μm3/h in length and 5.56 ×10^-3 μm3/h in width. Moreover, the ratio of the carbide length to width increased rapidly at first and then flattened as the holding time increased to 850 ℃. The results of electrochemical corrosion experiment indicated that the needled-like Cr23C6 carbides impaired the corrosion resistance of DM due to the formation of chromium depletion around the carbides.

Impact Toughness of Heat-Affected Zones of 11Cr Heat-Resistant Steels

Aiming at the requirements of structural steel in Gen-IV nuclear reactor, the high-chromium martensitic heat-resistant steels containing 10–12% chromium were developed. The toughness of heat-affected zones(HAZs) is one of the important factors for evaluating the weldability of steels. In this paper, the simulated HAZs were fabricated using tempered SIMP steels. The effects of microstructures on the impact toughness of materials were analyzed using Vickers hardness tester, optical microscope, transmission electron microscope. Experimental results demonstrated that the HAZs of weldment were poor in toughness, much lower than that of the base metal. However, after experiencing post-weld heat treatment, the toughness of the HAZs increased greatly. The toughness became better in terms of CG-HAZ, FG-HAZ and IC-HAZ for the two steels, regardless of as-welded or after PWHT. Compared with SIMP7 steel, chemical compositions, such as C, Si, Mn and Cr, were adjusted to a lower content;the toughness of base metal and simulated HAZs was better in the case of SIMP11. The conjunct roles of dislocation density and carbon contents retained in the martensite led to poor impact toughness of the aswelded HAZs, because dislocations and carbon atoms affected the inner stresses within lattices.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 06Cr13Ni4Mo Steel Treated by Quenching–Tempering–Partitioning Process

A heat treatment process, quenching-tempering-partitioning （Q-T-P）, has been applied to a low carbon martensitic stainless steel 06Crl3Ni4Mo. By using this process, ultrafine reversed austenite can be obtained at room temperature. The microstructures of the reversed austenite and the martensite matrix were characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） in detail. The results show that the ultrafine reversed austenite is enriched in Ni resulting in the austenite stability at room temperature. Two new types of nano-scale carbide precipitates are found in the martensite matrix. Detailed analysis suggests that the two nano-scale precipitates can be identified as ω phase and λ phase carbides, respectively. The orientation relationship between the ω phase and matrix is [011]α [/[2110]ω and （211）α//（0110）ω, while that between the X phase precipitate and matrix is [011]α][[0001]λ and （200）α/（1210）λ. For the present steel, the ultrafine reversed austenite and carbide precipitates obtained by Q-T-P treatment provide a good combination of high strength and toughness.

Effect of Solution Annealing on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Ni-Cr-W-Fe Alloy

The effect of solution annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ni-Cr-W-Fe alloy developed for advanced 700？C ultra-supercritical power plants was investigated. Test samples in this study were subjected to different solution treatments and the same aging treatment（at 760？C for 1 h）.When solution annealing temperature was elevated from 1020？C to 1150？C, the stress-rupture life at750？C/320 MPa was increased from 60 h to 300 h, the stress-rupture elongation was enhanced from12% to 17%, and the elongation of the tensile at 750？C was improved from 11% to 24%. All tensile and stress-rupture samples displayed an intergranular dimple mixed fracture. Intergranular micro-cracks had a great relationship with the morphology of grain boundary carbides. Most carbides retained the morphology of globular shape and continuous thin plate. After tensile and stress-rupture tests, a few carbides were converted into lamellar. The results showed that intergranular micro-cracks were easier to form at continuous thin plate carbides than at globular shape carbides. Lamellar carbides hardly caused the nucleation of micro-cracks. Besides, grain boundaries sliding and elements diffusion during stressrupture tests led to the formation of precipitate free zones, which accelerated the extension of microcracks and influenced the stress-rupture life.