An Aluminide Surface Layer Containing Lower-Al on Ferritic-Martensitic Steel Formed by Lower-Temperature Aluminization

An aluminide（AlFe and α-（FeAl）） surface layer containing lower-Al was formed on ferritic-martensitic steel P92 by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment（SMAT） combined with a duplex aluminization process at lower temperatures,i.e.a packed aluminization followed by a diffusion annealing treatment below its tempering temperature.Indentation tests indicated that the lower-Al surface layer formed on the SMAT sample is more resistant to cracking and has better adhesion to the substrate in comparison with the Al 5Fe 2 layer formed on the as-received sample after the duplex aluminization process.Isothermal steam oxidation measurements showed that the oxidation resistance is increased significantly by the lower-Al surface layer due to the formation of a protective（Fe,Cr）Al 2O 4 layer.The rate constant of oxidation was estimated to decrease from-0.849 mg^2 cm^-4h^-1 of the as-received material to^0.011 mg^2 cm^-4 h^-1 of the AlFe layer at 700 ℃.

Effects of chloride on electrochemical and stress corrosion cracking behavior of 9Cr ferritic-martensitic steel

The electrochemical and stress corrosion cracking behavior of 9Cr ferritic-martensitic steel is investigated in the chloride environment by using the traditional electrochemical method, the scanning vibrating electrode technique and the slow strain rate test (SSRT). Results of the static corrosion tests and corrosion morphology show that the prior austenite grain boundaries and martensite lath boundaries are the preferred sites for pit nucleation and growth in chloride environment. Results of SSRT coupled with insitu electrochemical test show that the transition from pitting corrosion to uniform corrosion, as well as the nucleation of stress corrosion crack, is the synergistic effects of the chloride and applied load. Stress corrosion cracking of the steel in the chloride environment can be divided into three different regions as follows: fast and uniform corrosion activ-ity, microcrack nucleation and propagation, and active crack growth regions.

An Investigation of Creep Resistance in Grade 91 Steel through Computational Thermodynamics

This study was conducted to understand the relationship between various critical temperatures and the stability of the secondary phases inside the heat-affected-zone(HAZ)of welded Grade 91(Gr.91)steel parts.Type IV cracking has been observed in the HAZ,and it is widely accepted that the stabilities of the secondary phases in Gr.91 steel are critical to the creep resistance,which is related to the crack failure of this steel.In this work,the stabilities of the secondary phases,including those of the M23C6,MX,and Z phases,were simulated by computational thermodynamics.Equilibrium cooling and Scheil simulations were carried out in order to understand the phase stability in welded Gr.91 steel.The effect of four critical temperatures—that is,Acl(the threshold temperature at which austenite begins to form),Ac3(the threshold temperature at which ferrite is fully transformed into austenite),and the M23C6 and Z phase threshold temperatures—on the thickness of the HAZ and phase stability in the HAZ is discussed.Overall,the simulations presented in this paper explain the mechanisms that can affect the creep resistance of Gr.91 steel,and can offer a possible solution to the problem of how to increase creep resistance at elevated temperatures by optimizing the steel composition,welding,and heat treatment process parameters.The simulation results from this work provide guidance for future alloy development to improve creep resistance in order to prevent type IV cracking.

TEM comparative study on oxide films of 316L and T91 steel exposed to 350-500°C steam

The oxide films of 316L and T91 exposed to 350-500°C steam were investigated using transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Independent of the exposure temperature,a triplex oxide structure with outer magnetite,inner Cr-rich(Fe_(1.4)Cr_(1.6)O_(4)),and Ni-rich layer formed on 316L,while only a duplex layer with outer magnetite and inner Cr-rich(Fe_(2.2)Cr_(0.8)O_(4))layer formed on T91.As the fast channels for oxidant and the obstacles for solid-state diffusion,nanopores are distributed evenly in the Cr-rich inner layer and are more abundant in 316L than in T91.The oxidation behavior of the materials was understood based on the microscopic characteristics of the oxide films.

In-situ TEM study of the effect of hydrogen-helium ratio on defect characteristics in Fe9Cr1.5W0.4Si F/M steel during H_(2)^(+)&He^(+)simultaneous irradiation

The effect of hydrogen and helium interaction,especially H-He ratio,on the irradiation behavior of nuclear materials has not yet been resolved.However,this is an important basis for evaluating the irradiation properties of nuclear materials and developing high irradiation resistant materials.Here,30 keV H_(2)^(+)and He^(+)dual beams with four H-He ratios of 0:10,3:10,15:10,and 30:10 were used to irradiate the newly developed Fe9Cr1.5W0.4Si F/M steel in TEM to in-situ study the interaction and ratio effect of hydrogen and helium.The addition of H atoms significantly promoted the nucleation of dislocation loops and bubbles.In the early stage of irradiation,the average size and density of dislocation loops increased with the increase of H-He ratio.Meanwhile,the larger the H-He ratio,the easier it was to form a complex dislocation network.Furthermore,the final saturation size of bubbles increased with the increase of H-He ratio.It was first found that the swelling was affected by H concentrations,with high H concentrations slowing down the increase in swelling.For a certain irradiation dose,a specific H-He ratio would lead to a swelling peak of Fe9Cr1.5W0.4Si F/M steel.The super-sized bubbles at grain boundaries(GBs)were found after H addition,resulting in a bigger swelling of GBs than the matrix.Both the swelling of the GBs and the matrix show a dependence on the H-He ratio.The current work is of great significance for understanding the interaction between hydrogen and helium in nuclear materials.