Deformation behaviour in advanced heat resistant materials during slow strain rate testing at elevated temperature

In this study, slow strain rate tensile testing at elevated temperature is used to evaluate the influence of temperature and strain rate on deformation behaviour in two different austenitic alloys. One austenitic stainless steel （AISI 316L） and one nickel-base alloy （Alloy 617） have been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy related techniques as electron channelling contrast imaging and electron backscattering diffraction have been used to study the damage and fracture micromechanisms. For both alloys the dominante damage micromech- anisms are slip bands and planar slip interacting with grain bounderies or precipitates causing strain concentrations. The dominante fracture micromechanism when using a slow strain rate at elevated temperature, is microcracks at grain bounderies due to grain boundery embrittlement caused by precipitates. The decrease in strain rate seems to have a small influence on dynamic strain ageing at 650℃.

Multi-scale study of ductility-dip cracking in nickel-based alloy dissimilar metal weld

A ductility-dip-cracking(DDC)-concentrated zone(DCZ) in a width of about 3 mm was observed adjacent to the AISI 316 L/52 Mw fusion boundary(FB) in 52 Mw. The morphology, microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties and corrosion behavior in simulated primary water of DDC/DCZ were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), 3 D X-ray tomography(XRT), 3 D atom probe(3 DAP), slow strain rate tensile(SSRT) testing and thermal dilatometry. The results indicate that DDCs are random-shaped and disc-like cavities with corrugated structure of inner surface and are parallel in groups along straight high-angle boundaries of columnar grains, ranging from micrometers to millimeters in size. Large-size M_(23)C_6 carbides dominate on the grain boundaries rather than MC(M=Nb, Ti), and thus the bonding effect of carbides is absent for the straight grain boundaries.The impurity segregation of O is confirmed for the inner surfaces of DDC. The oxide film formed on the inner surface of DDC(about 50 nm) is approximately twice as thick as that on the matrix(about 25 nm)in simulated primary water. The yield strength, tensile strength and elongation to fracture of 52 MwDCZ(400 MPa, 450 MPa and 20 %, respectively) are lower than those of 52 Mw-MZ(460 MPa, 550 MPa and 28 %, respectively). The intrinsic high-restraint weld structure, the additional stress/strain caused by the thermal expansion difference between AISI 316 L and 52 Mw as well as the detrimental carbide precipitation and the resulting grain boundary structure all add up to cause the occurrence of DCZ in the dissimilar metal weld.

Influence of inclusions on hydrogen-induced delayed cracking in hot stamping steels

The hydrogen-induced delayed cracking(HIDC)behaviors of two types of 1500 MPa grade hot stamping steels(HSSs)have been investigated by the method of slow strain rate tensile test and hydrogen permeation,where one is manufactured by compact strip production(CSP)process which is a revolution to the traditional HSS and the other by the traditional cold rolling process.The results show that the performance of HSS produced by CSP is superior to that of the traditional HSS,due to lower hydrogen embrittlement index,lower hydrogen diffusion coefficient and lower hydrogen content.It has been found that HIDC behavior is closely associated with inclusions.The inclusions of HSS produced by CSP are mainly spherical Al-Ca-O and CaS,while the inclusions in the traditional HSS are TiN+AI2O3+MnS with sharp edges and corners.Based on these results,the influence of composition,shape and distribution of inclusions in HSS on HIDC and the mechanism of HIDC from the perspective of inclusions were analyzed and discussed.