Improving creep strength of the fine-grained heat-affected zone of novel 9Cr martensitic heat-resistant steel via modified thermo-mechanical treatment

The infamous type Ⅳ failure within the fine-grained heat-affected zone (FGHAZ) in G115 steel weldments seriously threatens the safe operation of ultra-supercritical (USC) power plants.In this work,the traditional thermo-mechanical treatment was modified via the replacement of hot-rolling with cold rolling,i.e.,normalizing,cold rolling,and tempering (NCT),which was developed to improve the creep strength of the FGHAZ in G115 steel weldments.The NCT treatment effectively promoted the dissolution of preformed M_(23)C_(6)particles and relieved the boundary segregation of C and Cr during welding thermal cycling,which accelerated the dispersed reprecipitation of M_(23)C_(6) particles within the fresh reaustenitized grains during post-weld heat treatment.In addition,the precipitation of Cu-rich phases and MX particles was promoted evidently due to the deformation-induced dislocations.As a result,the interacting actions between precipitates,dislocations,and boundaries during creep were reinforced considerably.Following this strategy,the creep rupture life of the FGHAZ in G115 steel weldments can be prolonged by 18.6%,which can further push the application of G115 steel in USC power plants.

Grain boundary engineering for enhancing intergranular damage resistance of ferritic/martensitic steel P92

Ferritic/martensitic(F/M)steel is widely used as a structural material in thermal and nuclear power plants.However,it is susceptible to intergranular damage,which is a critical issue,under service conditions.In this study,to improve the resistance to intergranular damage of F/M steel,a thermomechanical process(TMP)was employed to achieve a grain boundary engineering(GBE)microstructure in F/M steel P92.The TMP,including cold-rolling thickness reduction of 6%,9%,and 12%,followed by austenitization at 1323 K for 40 min and tempering at 1053 K for 45 min,was applied to the as-received(AR)P92 steel.The prior austenite grain(PAG)size,prior austenite grain boundary character distribution(GBCD),and connectivity of prior austenite grain boundaries(PAGBs)were investigated.Compared to the AR specimen,the PAG size did not change significantly.The fraction of coincident site lattice boundaries(CSLBs,3≤Σ≤29)and Σ3^(n) boundaries along PAGBs decreased with increasing reduction ratio because the recrystallization fraction increased with increasing reduction ratio.The PAGB connectivity of the 6%deformed specimen slightly deteriorated compared with that of the AR specimen.Moreover,potentiodynamic polarization studies revealed that the intergranular damage resistance of the studied steel could be improved by increasing the fraction of CSLBs along the PAGBs,indicating that the TMP,which involves low deformation,could enhance the intergranular damage resistance.

Effect of Ni content on the weldability of middle-chromium hyperpure ferritic stainless steels 00Cr21Ti

Excellent weldability substantially contributes to the intrinsic quality of steels,while appropriate chemical composition plays a primary role in the essential weldability of steels.The poor weldability of ferritic stainless steels could be improved through modification with minor alloy elements while minimally increasing the cost.Therefore,studying the effect of minor alloy elements on the weldability of steels is of considerable importance.In this study,several steels of middle-chromium hyperpure ferritic stainless 00Cr21Ti with different Ni content(0.3%,0.5%,0.8%,and 1.0%)were developed,and their weldabilities of butt joint samples welded using the metal inert gas welding process,including the influence of welded joints on the microstructure,tensile performance,corrosion resistance,and fatigue property,were investigated.Results show that the steels with w(Ni)≥0.8%exhibit excellent mechanical properties compared with those with low-Ni content steels,further,their impact toughness at normal atmospheric temperature meets the industrial application standard and the fatigue property is similar to that of 304 austenitic stainless steel.Moreover,results show that the corrosion resistance of all the samples is almost at the same level.The results acquired in this study are supposed to be useful for the optimization of the chemical composition of stainless steels aiming to improve weldability.

High strength-superplasticity combination of ultrafine-grained ferritic steel:The significant role of nanoscale carbides

There is currently a gap in our understanding of mechanisms that contribute to high strength and high plasticity in high strength UFG ferritic steel with nano-size Fe3 C carbides in situations that involve combination of various strain rates and high temperature.In this regard,we describe the mechanistic basis of obtaining high strength-high plasticity combination in an ultrafine-grained(UFG)(~500±30 nm)ferritic steel with nano-size carbides,which sustained large plastic deformation,exceeding 100%elongation at a temperature significantly below 0.5 of the absolute melting point(Tm).To address the missing gap in our knowledge,we conducted a series of experiments involving combination of strain rate and temperature effects in conjunction with electron microscopy and atom probe tomography(APT).Strain rate studies were carried out at strain rates in the range of 0.0017-0.17 s^(-1)and at different temperatures from 25℃to 600℃.Dynamic recrystallization occurred at 600℃,resulting in a significant decrease in yield and tensile strength.Nevertheless,the UFG ferritic steels had an advantage in tensile strength(UTS)and elongation-to-failure(εf)at 600℃,especially at strain rate of 0.0017 s^(-1),with high UTSof 510 MPa and excellent low temperature(<0.42 Tm)superplasticity(εf=110%).These mechanical properties are significantly superior compared to similar type of steels at identical temperature.A mechanistic understanding of mechanical behavior of UFG ferritic steels is presented by combining the effect of strain rate,temperature,and nano-size carbides.

Effect of Interface Form on Creep Failure and Life of Dissimilar Metal Welds Involving Nickel-Based Weld Metal and Ferritic Base Metal

For dissimilar metal welds(DMWs)involving nickel-based weld metal(WM)and ferritic heat resistant steel base metal(BM)in power plants,there must be an interface between WM and BM,and this interface suffers mechanical and microstructure mismatches and is often the rupture location of premature failure.In this study,a new form of WM/BM interface form,namely double Y-type interface was designed for the DMWs.Creep behaviors and life of DMWs containing double Y-type interface and conventional I-type interface were compared by finite element analysis and creep tests,and creep failure mechanisms were investigated by stress-strain analysis and microstructure characterization.By applying double Y-type interface instead of conventional I-type interface,failure location of DMW could be shifted from the WM/ferritic heat-affected zone(HAZ)interface into the ferritic HAZ or even the ferritic BM,and the failure mode change improved the creep life of DMW.The interface premature failure of I-type interface DMW was related to the coupling effect of microstructure degradation,stress and strain concentrations,and oxide notch on the WM/HAZ interface.The creep failure of double Y-type interface DMW was the result of Type IV fracture due to the creep voids and micro-cracks on fine-grain boundaries in HAZ,which was a result of the matrix softening of HAZ and lack of precipitate pinning at fine-grain boundaries.The double Y-type interface form separated the stress and strain concentrations in DMW from the WM/HAZ interface,preventing the trigger effect of oxide notch on interface failure and inhibiting the interfacial microstructure cracking.It is a novel scheme to prolong creep life and enhance reliability of DMW,by means of optimizing the interface form,decoupling the damage factors from WM/HAZ interface,and then changing the failure mechanism and shifting the failure location.

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.

Bi-modal microstructure in a powder metallurgical ferritic steel

Ferritic steel with a nominal composition of Fe-14Cr-3W-0.42Ti-0.32Y was prepared by mixing gas-atomized prealloyed powder and mechanically alloyed powder. The microstructure is much different fxom other ferritic steels with the same composition and prepared via only mechanically alloyed powder. A bi-modal structure, which consists of pure ferritic grains and martensitic grains, was obtained after hot forging and air cooling. A phase transformation of αbcc→γfcc→α＇bcc was also discovered in microstructural observation. The bi-modal microstructure shows a good combination of high strength and high ductility.

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.

Mechanical properties and characteristics of nanometer-sized precipitates in hot-rolled low-carbon ferritic steel

The microstructures and properties of hot-rolled low-carbon ferritic steel have been investigated by optical microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and tensile tests after isothermal transformation from 600°C to 700°C for 60 min. It is found that the strength of the steel decreases with the increment of isothermal temperature, whereas the hole expansion ratio and the fraction of high-angle grain boundaries increase. A large amount of nanometer-sized carbides were homogeneously distributed throughout the material, and fine（Ti, Mo）C precipitates have a significant precipitation strengthening effect on the ferrite phase because of their high density. The nanometer-sized carbides have a lattice parameter of 0.411-0.431 nm. After isothermal transformation at 650°C for 60 min, the ferrite phase can be strengthened above 300 MPa by precipitation strengthening according to the Ashby-Orowan mechanism.

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.

Effects of TiC on the microstructure and formation of acicular ferrite in ferritic stainless steel

The formation mechanism of acicular ferrite and its microstructural characteristics in 430 ferrite stainless steel with TiC additions were studied by theory and experiment.Using an"edge?to?edge matching"model,a 5.25 mismatch between TiC(FCC structure)and ferritic stainless steel(BCC structure)was identified,which met the mismatch requirement for the heterogeneous nucleation of 430 ferritic stainless steel.TiC was found to be an effective nucleation site for the formation of acicular ferrite in a smelting experiment,as analyzed by metallographic examination,Image-Pro Plus 6.0 analysis software,and SEM–EDS.Furthermore,small inclusions in the size of 2–4?m increased the probability of acicular ferrite nucleation,and the secondary acicular ferrite would grow sympathetically from the initial acicular ferrite to produce multi-dimensional acicular ferrites.Moreover,the addition of Ti C can increase the average microstrain and dislocation density of 430 ferrite stainless steel,as calculated by Williamson-Hall(WH)method,which could play some role in strengthening the dislocation.

Effect of welding parameters on the heat-affected zone of AISI409 ferritic stainless steel

One of the main problems during the welding of ferritic stainless steels is severe grain growth within the heat-affected zone （HAZ） In the present study, the microstmctural characteristics of tungsten inert gas （TIG） welded AISI409 ferritic stainless steel were investigated by electron backscattered diffraction （EBSD）, and the effects of welding parameters on the grain size, local misorientation, and low-angle grain boundaries were studied. A 3-D finite element model （FEM） was developed to predict the effects of welding parameters on the holding time of the HAZ above the critical temperature of grain growth. It is found that the base metal is not fully recrystallized. During the welding, complete recrystallization is followed by severe grain growth. A decrease in the number of low-angle grain boundaries is observed within the HAZ. FEM results show that the final state of residual sWains is caused by competition between welding plastic strains and their release by recrystallization. Still, the decisive factor for grain growth is heat input.

Effect of tin addition on the microstructure and properties of ferritic stainless steel

This article reports the effects of Sn on the inclusions as well as the mechanical properties and hot workability of ferritic stainless steel. Precipitation phases and inclusions in Sn-bearing ferritic stainless steel were observed, and the relationship between the workability and the microstructure of the steel was established. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis of the steel reveals that an almost pure Sn phase forms and MnS-Sn compound inclusions appear in the steel with a higher Sn content. Little Sn segregation was observed in grain boundaries and in the areas around sulfide inclusions;however, the presence of Sn does not adversely affect the workability of the steel con-taining 0.4wt%Sn. When the Sn content is 0.1wt%-0.4wt%, Sn improves the tensile strength and the plastic strain ratio and also improves the plasticity with increasing temperature. A mechanism of improving the workability of ferritic stainless steel induced by Sn addition was discussed：the presence of Sn lowers the defect concentration in the ultra-pure ferritic lattice and the good distribution of tin in the lattice overcomes the problem of hot brittleness that occurs in low-carbon steel as a result of Sn segregation.

Effect of Processing Condition on Texture and Drawability of a Ferritic Rolled and Annealed Interstitial-Free Steel

The processing conditions of the texture formation and deep drawability of a Ti-IF steel strip hot-rolled in ferritic region and subsequently annealed were investigated. The r-value increases with the decrease of reheating temperature, and finish rolling temperature and the increase of reductions in ferritic region. For lubricated ferritic rolling and annealing, the r-value is raised up to 1.75, and elongation rate is over 50% at the finish rolling temperature of 650 ℃, which is suitable for DDQ grade products. However, the r-value is below 1.0 in the case of unlubricated rolling. The X-ray diffraction was used to analyze the textural characteristic of samples. For samples subjected to lubricated rolling and annealing, the strong { 111 }//ND recrystallization texture is distributed homogeneously along the thickness direction, and the intensity of { 110} recrystallization texture is very low even in surface. However, for unlubricated samples, the {111} texture is distributed inhomogeneously and is weak along the thickness direction, and （110}//ND recrystallization texture is strong, which deteriorates the formability.

Corrosion behavior of ferritic stainless steel with 15wt% chromium for the automobile exhaust system

The effect of chloride ion concentration, pH value, and grain size on the pitting corrosion resistance of a new ferritic stainless steel with 15wt% Cr was investigated using the anodic polarization method. The semiconducting properties of passive films with different chloride ion concentrations were performed using capacitance measurement and Mott-Schottky analysis methods. The aging precipitation and intergranular corrosion behavior were evaluated at 400- 900℃. It is found that the pitting potential decreases when the grain size increases. With the increase in chloride ion concentration, the doping density and the flat-bland potential increase but the thickness of the space charge layer decreases. The pitting corrosion resistance increases rapidly with the decrease in pH value. Precipitants is identified as Nb（C,N） and NbC, rather than Cr-carbide. The intergranular corrosion is attributed to the synergistic effects of Nb（C,N） and NbC precipitates and Cr segregation adjacent to the precipitates.

Interfacial Microstructure of Diffusion Bonded Inconel 738 and Ferritic Stainless Steel Couple

In this study, Inconel 738 alloy was diffusion bonded to a ferritic stainless steel. The effect of bonding temperature on the microstructural development across the joint region was investigated. Following the diffusion bonding, conventional characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive X-ray （EDX） and microhardness were used to examine the interracial microstructure. It was seen that bonding temperature was effective on the diffusion of Ni from Inconel 738 to ferritic stainless steel that affected the microstructure of the interface. Austenite phase was formed at the interface as a result of Ni diffusion from the Inconel 738 to the interface.

Tensile and Impact Properties of Shielded Metal Arc Welded AISI 409M Ferritic Stainless Steel Joints

The present study is concerned with the effect of filler metals such as austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel and duplex stainless steel on tensile and impact properties of the ferritic stainless steel conforming to AISI 409M grade. Rolled plates of 4 mm thickness were used as the base material for preparing single pass butt welded joints. Tensile and impact properties, microhardness, microstructure and fracture surface morphology of the joints fabricated by austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel and duplex stainless steel filler metals were evaluated and the results were reported. From this investigation, it is found that the joints fabricated by duplex stainless steel filler metal showed higher tensile strength and hardness compared to the joints fabricated by austenitic and ferritic stainless steel filler metals. Joints fabricated by austenitic stainless steel filler metal exhibited higher ductility and impact toughness compared with the joints fabricated by ferritic stainless steel and duplex stainless steel filler metals.

Activating Flux Design for Laser Weldingof Ferritic Stainless Steel

The behaviors of YAG laser welding process of ferritic stainless steel with activating fluxes were investigatedin this study. Some conventional oxides, halides and carbonates were applied in laser welding. The resultsshowed that the effect of oxides on the penetration depth was more remarkable. Most activating fluxes improved thepenetration more effectively at low power than that at high power. The uniform design was adopted to arrange theformula of multicomponent activating fluxes, showing that the optimal formula can make the penetration depth up to2.23 times as large as that without flux, including 50% ZrO2, 12.09% CaCO3, 10.43% CaO and 27.48% MgO. Throughthe high-speed photographs of welding process, CaF2 can minimize the plasma volume but slightly improve the penetrationcapability.

Test research on sticking mechanism during hot rolling of SUS 430 ferritic stainless steel

The sticking phenomenon during hot rolling of SUS 430 ferritic stainless steel was investigated by means of a two-disc type high-temperature wear tester. The test results indicate that sticking particles on the surfaces of high chromium steel （HiCr） and high-speed steel （HSS） rolls undergo nucleation, growth, and saturation stages. Grooves on the roll surface generated by grinding provide nucleation sites for sticking particles. The number of sticking particles on the HiCr roll surface is greater than that on the HSS roll surface. The average surface roughnesses （Ra） of HiCr and HSS rolls change from 0.502 and 0.493 μm at the initial stage to 0.837 and 0.530 μm at the saturation stage, respectively. The test further proves that the sticking behavior is strongly dependent on roll materials, and the HSS roll is more benefi- cial to prevent particles sticking compared with the HiCr roll under the same hot-rolling conditions.

Effect of Cr, Mo, and Nb additions on intergranular cohesion of ferritic stainless steel: First-principles determination

Effects of Cr, Mo, and Nb on the ferritic stainless steel ]2（210） grain boundary and intragranularity are investigated using the first-principles principle. Different positions of solute atoms are considered. Structural stability is lowered by Cr doping and enhanced by Mo and Nb doping. A ranking on the effect of solute atoms enhancing the cohesive strength of the grain boundary, from the strongest to the weakest is Cr, Mo, and Nb. Cr clearly prefers to locate in the intragranular region of Fe rather than in the grain boundary, while Mo and Nb tend to segregate to the grain boundary. Solute Mo and Nb atoms possess a strong driving force for segregation to the grain boundary from the intragranular region, which increases the grain boundary embrittlement. For Mo- and Nb-doped systems, a remarkable quantity of electrons accumulate in the region close to Mo （Nb）. Therefore, the bond strength may increase. With Cr, Mo, and Nb additions, an anti-parallel island is formed around the center of the grain boundary.