Strengthening mechanisms of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels:A review

This review summarizes the strengthening mechanisms of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic(RAFM)steels.High-angle grain boundaries,subgrain boundaries,nano-sized M_(23)C_(6),and MX carbide precipitates effectively hinder dislocation motion and increase high-temperature strength.M23C6 carbides are easily coarsened under high temperatures,thereby weakening their ability to block dislocations.Creep properties are improved through the reduction of M23C6 carbides.Thus,the loss of strength must be compensated by other strengthening mechanisms.This review also outlines the recent progress in the development of RAFM steels.Oxide dispersion-strengthened steels prevent M23C6 precipitation by reducing C content to increase creep life and introduce a high density of nano-sized oxide precipitates to offset the reduced strength.Severe plastic deformation methods can substantially refine subgrains and MX carbides in the steel.The thermal deformation strengthening of RAFM steels mainly relies on thermo-mechanical treatment to increase the MX carbide and subgrain boundaries.This procedure increases the creep life of TMT(thermo-mechanical treatment)9Cr-1W-0.06Ta steel by~20 times compared with those of F82H and Eurofer 97 steels under 550℃/260 MPa.

Embrittlement effects on ferritic/martensitic steels by liquid lead-bismuth eutectic

Studies of synergetic irradiation effects and liquid lead-bismuth eutectic(LBE) corrosion/embrittlement effects on ferritic/martensitic(F/M) steels are of great importance for developing high power spallation neutron targets(>1 M W) such as the European Spallation Source(ESS) and Accelerator Driven System(ADS) facilities that can be used for transmuting long-lifetime radioactive wastes. Liquid LBE(45Pb-55Bi,in terms of mass fraction) has been selected as the candidate target material in high power spallation neutron targets due to its favourable thermal,physical & chemical properties,and to its high spallation neutron yield. 9Cr F/M steels such as T91(9Cr1M oVNb,in terms of mass fraction) have been chosen as the structural material for the targets due to their good mechanical properties and good resistance to irradiation induced swelling in fission neutron irradiation environments. For developing high power spallation neutron targets,behaviors of F/M steels in spallation neutron target irradiation environments and LBE corrosion/embrittlement effects have been extensively studied. However,many open questions have not been answered. The aim of this paper is to describe the present research situation on this topic. The obtained experimental data about LBE embrittlement effects on F/M steels is summarized and the influence of different parameters involved is analyzed to understand the influence effect on LBE embrittlement effect of F/M s.

3-31 Study on Hardening Caused by He Ion Implantation in Two Kinds of Reduced-activation Ferritic/Martensitic Steels Made in China

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels (RAFM) are important candidate materials for future nuclear fusion reactors because of their high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion rate and high resistance to void swelling. The influence of the accumulation of high concentration of helium via the（n, a）nuclear reaction on microstructures and macro-properties of the steels is an important issue limiting the service lifetime of the materials.

Effects of Orthogonal Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of GN9 Ferritic/Martensitic Steel

Microstructure and mechanical properties of GN9 Ferritic/Martensitic steel for sodium-cooled fast reactors have been investigated through orthogonal design and analysis.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),differential scanning calorimeter(DSC),tensile and impact tests were used to evaluate the heat treatment parameters on yield strength,elongation and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature(DBTT).The results indicate that the microstructures of GN9 steel after orthogonal heat treatments consist of tempered martensite,M23C6,MX carbides and MX carbonitrides.The average prior austenite grains increase and the lath width decreases with the austenitizing temperature increasing from 1000°C to 1080°C.Tempering temperature is the most important factor that influences the dislocation evolution,yield strength and elongation compared with austenitizing tempera-ture and cooling methods.Austenitizing temperature,tempering temperature and cooling methods show interactive effects on DBTT.Carbide morphology and distribution,which is influenced by austenitizing and tempering tempera-tures,is the critical microstructural factor that influences the Charpy impact energy and DBTT.Based on the orthogo-nal design and microstructural analysis,the optimal heat treatment of GN9 steel is austenitizing at 1000°C for 0.5 h followed by air cooling and tempering at 760°C for 1.5 h.

Microstructure characteristics of 12Cr ferritic/martensitic steels with various yttrium

12Cr ferritic/martensitic steels with 0, 0.1 wt%, 0.2 wt% and 0.3 wt% theoretical yttrium(Y) additions were fabricated by vacuum inducting melting and casting method. Solubilities of Y in the 12Cr steels are0.027, 0.078 and 0.17 for 12Cr-0.1 Y, 12Cr-0.2 Y and 12Cr-0.3 Y, respectively. Phase transformations and microstructure characteristics under different heat-treatment schedules were investigated. The starting temperature of ferrite-to-austenite transformation A^(c1) are maintained about 850℃, but the finishing temperature of ferrite-to-austenite transformation A^(c3) are about 950, 970, 980 and 1000℃ for 12Cr-0 Y,12Cr-0.1 Y, 12Cr-0.2 Y and 12Cr-0.3 Y, respectively, which indicates that A^(c3) increases gradually with the addition of Y. Martensite accompanied with a few δ-ferrite is the dominant structure in all the steels. The amount of δ-ferrite shows a strong dependence with the Y content and austenitizing temperature. Area fraction of δ-ferrite increases with the content of Y, which is the ferrite favouring element. The minimum amount of δ-ferrite are achieved at 950℃ for 12Cr-0 Y, 12Cr-0.1 Y, 12Cr-0.2 Y and 1000℃ for 12Cr-0.3 Y.Besides, more carbides precipitate along the martensite laths and grain boundaries in the Y-bearing steel due to the redistribution of carbon between austenite and ferrite resulting from the ferrite favouring element of Y.

Oxidation behavior of ferritic/martensitic steels in flowing supercritical water

The oxidation behavior of two Ferritic/Martensitic(F/M)steels including novel SIMP steel and commercial P91 steel were investigated by exposure to flowing deaerated supercritical water(SCW)at 700℃for up to 1000 h.The kinetic weight gain curves follow parabolic and near-cubic rate equations for SIMP and P91 steels,respectively.X-Ray Diffraction analysis showed the presence of magnetite and a spinel phase in flowing SCW for both steels.The morphology and structure of the oxide scales formed on these two steels were analyzed.The relationship between the microstructure and oxidation behavior and the reason that SIMP steel showed better oxidation resistance than P91 steel were discussed.

Corrosion Behavior of Ferritic/Martensitic Steels CNS-Ⅰ and Modified CNS-Ⅱ in Supercritical Water

The corrosion behaviors of CNS-I and modified CNS-II were evaluated by exposing to superciritical water （SCW） at 550℃ and 25 MPa with a dissolved oxygen concentration of 200× 10 ^-9 for up to 1 000 h. Detailed corrosion results of these two alloys were provided, including the growth rate of the oxide scales, microstructure of the oxide scales, distribution of phases and alloying elements. The mass gains of CNS-I and modified CNS-II were 609.73 mg/dm2 and 459.42 mg/dm2 , respectively, after exposing to SCW for 1 000 h. A duplex oxide scale with an outer porous magnetite layer and an inner relatively dense magnetite/spinel-mixed layer was identified on CNS-I and modified CNS-II after the test. The oxide scales were rather porous at the beginning of the test but the porosity decreased with increase of the exposure duration. It was found that Fe was enriched in the outer oxide layer, Cr was enriched in the inner oxide layer and O existed at a very high concnetration in the whole oxide scale. Other alloying elements such as Mo, W, Mn were depleted from the outer oxide layer and showed slightly enrichment in the inner oxide layer. The distributution of Ni was different from other elements, it was enriched in the interface bewteen the base metal and the oxide scale and depleted in the outer and inner oxide layers.

Cavity Swelling in Three Ferritic-Martensitic Steels Irradiated by 196 MeV Kr Ions

We report on cavity swelling at peak damage regions of three ferritic-martensitic(FM)steels(NHS,RAFM and T91)irradiated by 196 MeV Kr ions at different temperatures(450/550℃).Cavity configurations of the irradiated specimens are investigated by transmission electron microscopy with cross-section technique.For home-made reduced activation ferritic-martensitic(RAFM)and T91 steels irradiated at 450℃,both large size and bimodal size distribution of the cavity are found in their peak damage regions,whereas novel high silicon(NHS)steel exhibits good swelling resistance at different irradiation temperatures.Temperature relativity of the cavity swelling in NHS,RAFM and T91 steels is discussed briefly.

Electronic Structures and Alloying Behaviors of Ferrite Phases in High Co-Ni Secondary Hardened Martensitic Steels

The electronic structure of ferrite (tempered martensite phase) in high Co-Ni secondary hardened martensitic steel has been investigated. The local density of states (LOOS) of alloying elements in the steel displays the relationship between solid solubility and the shape of the LDOS. The bond order integral (BOI) between atoms in the steel shows that the directional bonding of the p orbital of Si or C leads to the brittleness of the steel. At last, ΣBOI between atoms demonstrate that C, Co, Mn, Cr, Mo, Si strengthen the alloyed steel through solid-solution effects.

Effect of low-temperature tempering on the mechanical properties of cold-rolled martensitic steel

Cold-rolled martensitic steel is an important type of advanced high-strength steel for automobile production.With martensite as its primary microstructure constituent, martensitic steel possesses exceptional high strength despite its low alloy content.As the strength of cold-rolled martensitic steel increases, the martensite and carbon content also increases, leading to a decrease in bending properties and toughness.In this paper, the effect of various tempering parameters on the bending property and impact toughness of a quenched cold-rolled martensitic steel sheet was studied.It is found that after quenching, the ductility and impact toughness of the experimental steel are improved using low-temperature heat treatment.The optimal tempering conditions for ductility and toughness are analyzed.

Simulation of the Behaviour Laws in the Thermal Affected Zones of the 13Cr-4Ni Martensitic Stainless Steel

During the welding, many phenomena occur. The materials deform under the action of residual stresses. This tendency is due to the high gradients of temperature during the process. These deformations are really difficult for many professionals operating in the area. In the goal to predict these variations, one has established the behaviour laws which will be applied to evaluate residual stresses and strains. This research is focused on the study of the Thermal Affected Zone (TAZ) during the welding of the 13Cr-4Ni martensitic stainless steel. The TAZ does not know any change of state (solid/liquid). It only knows the metallurgical phase change (austenite/martensite). There are three types of behaviour laws in this study: thermal, mechanical and metallurgical behaviour laws. The thermal behaviour law serves to evaluate the temperature field which induces the mechanical strains. The mechanical behaviour law serves to evaluate spherical stress (pressure) and deviatoric stress which compose the residual stress. It also helps to measure the total strain. The metallurgical behaviour law serves for the evaluation of the metallurgical phase proportions. To validate the modelling developed in this study, one has made the simulations to compare the results obtained with the analytical and experimental data.

Precipitation behavior and martensite lath coarsening during tempering of T/P92 ferritic heat-resistant steel

Tempering is an important process for T/P92 ferritic heat-resistant steel from the viewpoint of microstructure control, as it facili- tates the formation of final tempered martensite under serving conditions. In this study, we have gained deeper insights on the mechanism underlying the microstructural evolution during tempering treatment, including the precipitation of carbides and the coarsening of martensite laths, as systematically analyzed by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron mi- croscopy. The chemical composition of the precipitates was analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results indicate the for- mation of M3C （cementite） precipitates under normalized conditions. However, they tend to dissolve within a short time of tempering, owing to their low thermal stability. This phenomenon was substantiated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Besides, we could observe the precipitation of fine carbonitrides （MX） along the dislocations. The mechanism of carbon diffusion controlled growth of M23C6 can be expressed by the Zener＇s equation. The movement of Y-junctions was determined to be the fundamental mechanism underlying the martensite lath coarsening process. Vickers hardness was estimated to determine their mechanical properties. Based on the comprehensive analysis of both the micro- structural evolution and hardness variation, the process of tempering can be separated into three steps.

Ultra-Pure Ferritic Stainless Steels-Grade,Refining Operation,and Application

The grades of ultra-pure ferritic stainless steels, especially the grades used in automobile exhaust system, were reviewed. The dependence of properties on alloying elements, the refining facilities, and the mechanism of the reactions in steel melts were described in detail. Vacuum, strong stirring, and powder injection proved to be effective technologies in the melting of ultra-pure ferritic stainless steels. The application of the ferritic grades was also briefly introduced.

Application and failure evaluation of ferritic stainless steels for automotive exhaust systems

In recent years, with attention paid to global environmental problems, there have been requirements for continuous improvement of automobile fuel economy and exhaust gas purification rate. The properties of the ferritic stainless steels （FSS） used to make automobile parts have been improved. This paper introduces the construction of automotive exhaust systems and describes their main failure behaviors and corrosion evaluation procedures.

Dissolution Behavior of Delta Ferrites in Martensitic Heat-resistant Steel for Ultra Supercritical Units Blades

The dissolution behavior of delta ferrites in martensitic heat-resistant steel was studied.And the reason why the dissolution rate of delta ferrites decreased with dissolution time was discussed.The experimental results show that the chemical compositions of delta ferrites negligibly change with dissolution time.The decrease of dissolution rate of delta ferrites with dissolution time should be attributed to the change of shape and distribution of delta ferrites.The shape of delta ferrites tends to transfer from polygon to sphere with dissolution time,causing the decrease of specific surface area of delta ferrites.The distribution position of delta ferrites tends to transfer from boundaries of austenite grains to interior of austenite grains with dissolution time,decreasing the diffusion coefficient of alloy atoms.Both them decrease the dissolution rate of delta ferrites.

Formation of FeMo_2B_2 phase in boron containing 9Cr-1.5Mo ferritic steels

The segregation and diffusion of boron during heat treatments were studied. The influence of boron contents, aging time and applied stress on FeMo2B2 formation was also studied. Finally, the effects of boron contents and FeMo2B2 formation on the high temperature strength were studied. Boron atoms were segregated to prior austenite grain boundary during normalizing treatment. And these boron atoms were slowly diffused into the grain interior during tempering and aging at 700 ℃. The FeMo2B2 phase was only formed after 1,000 h aging at 700 ℃ in alloy containing 196 ppm boron. The formation of FeMo2B2 phase is accelerated by the applied stress. It was expected that the formation of FeMo2B2 is closely related to the redistribution of boron atoms. The tensile strengths at 700 ℃ are increased with the increase of boron contents. However, the formation of FeMo2B2 phase results in lower tensile strength.

Effect of heat treatment on the behavior ofδ-ferrite in B410D martensitic stainless steel

The morphology and the evolution of δ-ferrite existing in B410D slabs, hot-rolled plates, annealed plates and quenched plates were studied through metallographic observation. Results show that δ-ferrite forms during the solidification process and that it easily grows and increases in quantity during high temperature annealing. Band-shaped δ-ferrite in hotrolled plates is difficult to be eliminated by conventional heat treatment and hard to recrystallize.

Boron metallurgy of advanced ferritic power plant steels and welded joints

This paper describes the alloy design philosophy for the improvement of long-term creep strength of tempered martensitic 9Cr steel,including welded joints.The creep life t_r is inversely proportional to the minimum creep rateε_(min) times the increase in creep rate by strain dlnε/dεin the acceleration region as t_r = 1.5/[(ε_(min)) (dlnε/dε)].The parametersε_(min) and dlnε/dεare closely correlated with the time to minimum creep rate t_m and the strain to minimum creep rateε_m,which characterize the creep deformation behavior in the transient region.The boundary and sub-boundary hardening is shown to be the most important strengthening mechanism in creep of 9Cr steel and is enhanced by fine dispersions of precipitates along boundaries.The addition of boron reduces the coarsening rate of M_(23)C_6 carbides along boundaries near prior austenite grain boundaries during creep.The enhancement of boundary and sub-boundary hardening increases the t_m and decreases theε_(min),which improves the creep life.The boundary and sub-boundary hardening is significantly reduced in fine-grained region of heataffected -zone(HAZ) of conventional steel P92 welded joints,promoting TypeⅣfracture.In NIMS 9Cr boron steel welded joints,the distribution of carbonitrides along boundaries are substantially the same between the HAZ and base metal,suppressing the TypeⅣfracture.

Key role of niobium stabilization in ultra-pure ferritic stainless steels for construction and home-appliance applications

The beneficial effects of niobium addition on properties such as high-temperature strength, toughness, and formability of ferritic stainless steels have been addressed. Based on the Thermo-Calc analysis, precipitation of niobium carbonitride and solubility of niobium have been predicted and characterized via scanning electron microscope （SEM） and transmission electron microscope （TEM） observations. It is shown that addition of niobium has a beneficial effect on improving the high-temperature strength, toughness, formability, and corrosion resistance of ferritic stainless steel. Soluted niobium is very effective in improving the high-temperature strength, which is beneficial to reducing the sticking propensity during hot rolling. Although niobium increases the recrystallization temperature, niobium-added ferritic stainless steels show a high mean r value, or a high plastic strain ratio, as long as the annealing temperature is high enough. Furthermore, because niobium helps to inhibit the formation of chromium carbides, ferritic stainless steel can keep an effective chromium content in the matrix, leading to improved corrosion resistance. Applications of these ferritic stainless steels for construction and home appliances have also been presented.