Damping Capacity of High Manganese Austenitic Stainless Steel with a Two Phase Mixed Structure of Martensite and Austenite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Tae Hyun; Kang, Chang-Yong

2013-01-01

The damping capacity of high manganese austenitic stainless steel with a two phase mixed structure of deformation-induced martensite and reversed austenite was studied. Reversed austenite with an ultra-fine grain size of less than 0.2 μm was obtained by reversion treatment. The two phase structure of deformation-induced martensite and reversed austenite was obtained by annealing treatment at a range of 500-700 °C and various times in cold rolled high manganese austenitic stainless steel. The damping capacity increased with an increasing annealing temperature and time. In high manganese stainless steel with the two phase mixed structure of martensite and austenite, the damping capacity decreased with an increasing volume fraction of deformation-induced martensite. Thus, the damping capacity was strongly affected by deformation-induced martensite. The results confirmed that austenitic stainless steel with a good combination of strength and damping capacity was obtained from the two phase mixed structure of austenite and martensite.

Development of commercial nitrogen-rich stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liljas, M.

1999-01-01

This paper reviews the development of nitrogen alloyed stainless steels. Nitrogen alloying of austenitic stainless steels started at an early stage and was to a large extent caused by nickel shortage. However, direct technical advantages such as increased strength of the nitrogen alloyed steels made them attractive alternatives to the current steels. It was not until the advent of the AOD (argon oxygen decarburisation) process in the late 1960s that nitrogen alloying could be controlled to such accuracy that it became successful commercially on a broader scale. The paper describes production aspects and how nitrogen addition influences microstructure and the resulting properties of austenitic and duplex stainless steels. For austenitic steels there are several reasons for nitrogen alloying. Apart from increasing strength nitrogen also improves structural stability, work hardening and corrosion resistance. For duplex steels nitrogen also has a decisive effect in controlling the microstructure during thermal cycles such as welding. (orig.)

Welding of nickel free high nitrogen stainless steel: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raffi Mohammed

2017-04-01

Full Text Available High nitrogen stainless steel (HNS is a nickel free austenitic stainless steel that is used as a structural component in defence applications for manufacturing battle tanks as a replacement of the existing armour grade steel owing to its low cost, excellent mechanical properties and better corrosion resistance. Conventional fusion welding causes problems like nitrogen desorption, solidification cracking in weld zone, liquation cracking in heat affected zone, nitrogen induced porosity and poor mechanical properties. The above problems can be overcome by proper selection and procedure of joining process. In the present work, an attempt has been made to correlate the microstructural changes with mechanical properties of fusion and solid state welds of high nitrogen steel. Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW, electron beam welding (EBW and friction stir welding (FSW processes were used in the present work. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction were used to characterize microstructural changes. Hardness, tensile and bend tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of welds. The results of the present investigation established that fully austenitic dendritic structure was found in welds of SMAW. Reverted austenite pools in the martensite matrix in weld zone and unmixed zones near the fusion boundary were observed in GTA welds. Discontinuous ferrite network in austenite matrix was observed in electron beam welds. Fine recrystallized austenite grain structure was observed in the nugget zone of friction stir welds. Improved mechanical properties are obtained in friction stir welds when compared to fusion welds. This is attributed to the refined microstructure consisting of equiaxed and homogenous austenite grains.

Modelling the evolution of composition-and stress-depth profiles in austenitic stainless steels during low-temperature nitriding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Freja Nygaard; Hattel, Jesper Henri; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2016-01-01

. In the present paper solid mechanics was combined with thermodynamics and diffusion kinetics to simulate the evolution of composition-depth and stress-depth profiles resulting from nitriding. The model takes into account a composition-dependent diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in expanded austenite, short range......Nitriding of stainless steel causes a surface zone of expanded austenite, which improves the wear resistance of the stainless steel while preserving the stainless behaviour. During nitriding huge residual stresses are introduced in the treated zone, arising from the volume expansion...... that accompanies the dissolution of high nitrogen contents in expanded austenite. An intriguing phenomenon during low-temperature nitriding is that the residual stresses evoked by dissolution of nitrogen in the solid state, affect the thermodynamics and the diffusion kinetics of nitrogen dissolution...

Low-temperature creep of austenitic stainless steels

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, R. P.; Walsh, R. P.

2017-09-01

Plastic deformation under constant load (creep) in austenitic stainless steels has been measured at temperatures ranging from 4 K to room temperature. Low-temperature creep data taken from past and unreported austenitic stainless steel studies are analyzed and reviewed. Creep at cryogenic temperatures of common austenitic steels, such as AISI 304, 310 316, and nitrogen-strengthened steels, such as 304HN and 3116LN, are included. Analyses suggests that logarithmic creep (creep strain dependent on the log of test time) best describe austenitic stainless steel behavior in the secondary creep stage and that the slope of creep strain versus log time is dependent on the applied stress/yield strength ratio. The role of cold work, strain-induced martensitic transformations, and stacking fault energy on low-temperature creep behavior is discussed. The engineering significance of creep on cryogenic structures is discussed in terms of the total creep strain under constant load over their operational lifetime at allowable stress levels.

The difference in thermal and mechanical stabilities of austenite between carbon- and nitrogen-added metastable austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masumura, Takuro; Nakada, Nobuo; Tsuchiyama, Toshihiro; Takaki, Setsuo; Koyano, Tamotsu; Adachi, Kazuhiko

2015-01-01

In order to evaluate the effects of carbon and nitrogen addition on the stability of austenite, athermal and deformation-induced α′-martensitic transformation behaviors were investigated using type 304-metastable austenitic stainless steels containing 0.1 mass% carbon or nitrogen. The difference in the development of the deformation microstructure in particular is discussed in terms of the stacking-fault energy (SFE). Since carbon-added steel has a lower SFE than that of nitrogen-added steel, deformation twins and ε-martensite were preferentially formed in the carbon-added steel, whereas a dislocation cell structure developed in the nitrogen-added steel. Crystallographic analysis using the electron backscatter diffraction method revealed that the difference in the deformation microstructure has a significant influence on the growth behavior of deformation-induced α′-martensite, that is, the interface of the deformation twins and ε-martensite suppresses the growth of α′-martensite, whereas dislocation cell boundaries are not effective. As a result, the mechanical stability of carbon-added steel is slightly higher than that of nitrogen-added steel, although the thermal stabilization effect of carbon is much lower than that of nitrogen

Cryogenic properties of austenitic stainless steels for superconducting magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nohara, K.; Kato, T.; Ono, Y.; Sasaki, T.; Suzuki, S.

1983-01-01

The present study examines the magnetic and mechanical properties of a variety of austenitic stainless steels and high maganese steel which are candidate materials for the superconducting magnet attached to high energy particle accelerators. The effect of a specified heat treatment for the precipitation of intermetallic compound Nb3Sn to be used as superconductor on ductility and toughness are especially examined. It is found that nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless steels have high strength and good ductility and toughness, but that these are destroyed by precipitation treatment. The poor ductility and toughness after precipitation are caused by a weakening of the grain boundaries due to the agglomerated chromium carbide percipitates. The addition of vanadium suppresses this effect by refining the grain. Austenitic steels are found to have low magnetic permeabilities and Neel temperatures, and show serrated flow in traction test due to strained martensitic transformation. High manganese steel has extremely low permeability, a Neel temperature about room temperature, and has a serrated flow in traction test due to adiabatic deformation at liquid helium temperature

Numerical simulation of Cr2N age-precipitation in high nitrogen stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Q.X.; Yuan, Z.Z.; Luo, X.M.; Cheng, X.N.

2004-01-01

At the temperature raging from 700 to 950 deg. C, the Cr 2 N age-precipitation in high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels Fe24Mn18Cr3Ni0.62N was investigated in this paper. A qualitative mathematical model of Cr 2 N age-precipitation, ln t S = f (Me,1/T), was established based on the thermodynamics and kinetics and phase transformation theories. Satisfactory results were obtained by means of the test of artificial neural network. This mathematical model can be applied to the calculation design and predication of Cr 2 N age-precipitation in high nitrogen stainless steels

High Cycle Fatigue of Metastable Austenitic Stainless Steels

OpenAIRE

Fargas Ribas, Gemma; Zapata Dederle, Ana Cristina; Anglada Gomila, Marcos Juan; Mateo García, Antonio Manuel

2009-01-01

Metastable austenitic stainless steels are currently used in applications where severe forming operations are required, such as automotive bodies, due to its excellent ductility. They are also gaining interest for its combination of high strength and formability after forming. The biggest disadvantage is the difficulty to predict the mechanical response, which depends heavily on the amount of martensite formed. The martensitic transformation in metastable stainless steels can b...

Development of new high-performance stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Yong Soo

2002-01-01

This paper focused on high-performance stainless steels and their development status. Effect of nitrogen addition on super-stainless steel was discussed. Research activities at Yonsei University, on austenitic and martensitic high-performance stainless, steels, and the next-generation duplex stainless steels were introduced

Oxidation resistant high creep strength austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Michael P.; Pint, Bruce A.; Liu, Chain-Tsuan; Maziasz, Philip J.; Yamamoto, Yukinori; Lu, Zhao P.

2010-06-29

An austenitic stainless steel displaying high temperature oxidation and creep resistance has a composition that includes in weight percent 15 to 21 Ni, 10 to 15 Cr, 2 to 3.5 Al, 0.1 to 1 Nb, and 0.05 to 0.15 C, and that is free of or has very low levels of N, Ti and V. The alloy forms an external continuous alumina protective scale to provide a high oxidation resistance at temperatures of 700 to 800.degree. C. and forms NbC nanocarbides and a stable essentially single phase fcc austenitic matrix microstructure to give high strength and high creep resistance at these temperatures.

Ion-nitriding of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacheco, O.; Hertz, D.; Lebrun, J.P.; Michel, H.

1995-01-01

Although ion-nitriding is an extensively industrialized process enabling steel surfaces to be hardened by nitrogen diffusion, with a resulting increase in wear, seizure and fatigue resistance, its direct application to stainless steels, while enhancing their mechanical properties, also causes a marked degradation in their oxidation resistance. However, by adaption of the nitriding process, it is possible to maintain the improved wear resistant properties while retaining the oxidation resistance of the stainless steel. The controlled diffusion permits the growth of a nitrogen supersaturated austenite layer on parts made of stainless steel (AISI 304L and 316L) without chromium nitride precipitation. The diffusion layer remains stable during post heat treatments up to 650 F for 5,000 hrs and maintains a hardness of 900 HV. A very low and stable friction coefficient is achieved which provides good wear resistance against stainless steels under diverse conditions. Electrochemical and chemical tests in various media confirm the preservation of the stainless steel characteristics. An example of the application of this process is the treatment of Reactor Control Rod Cluster Assemblies (RCCAs) for Pressurized Water Nuclear Reactors

Decomposition kinetics of expanded austenite with high nitrogen contents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2006-01-01

This paper addresses the decomposition kinetics of synthesized homogeneous expanded austenite formed by gaseous nitriding of stainless steel AISI 304L and AISI 316L with nitrogen contents up to 38 at.% nitrogen. Isochronal annealing experiments were carried out in both inert (N2) and reducing (H2......) atmospheres. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry were applied for identification of the decomposition reactions and X-ray diffraction analysis was applied for phase analysis. CrN precipitated upon annealing; the activation energies are 187 kJ/mol and 128 kJ/mol for AISI 316L and AISI 304L...

Corrosion behavior in high heat input welded heat-affected zone of Ni-free high-nitrogen Fe–18Cr–10Mn–N austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Joonoh; Ha, Heon-Young; Lee, Tae-Ho

2013-01-01

The pitting corrosion and interphase corrosion behaviors in high heat input welded heat-affected zone (HAZ) of a metastable high-nitrogen Fe–18Cr–10Mn–N austenitic stainless steel were explored through electrochemical tests. The HAZs were simulated using Gleeble simulator with high heat input welding condition of 300 kJ/cm and the peak temperature of the HAZs was changed from 1200 °C to 1350 °C, aiming to examine the effect of δ-ferrite formation on corrosion behavior. The electrochemical test results show that both pitting corrosion resistance and interphase corrosion resistance were seriously deteriorated by δ-ferrite formation in the HAZ and their aspects were different with increasing δ-ferrite fraction. The pitting corrosion resistance was decreased by the formation of Cr-depleted zone along δ-ferrite/austenite (γ) interphase resulting from δ-ferrite formation; however it didn't depend on δ-ferrite fraction. The interphase corrosion resistance depends on the total amount of Cr-depleted zone as well as ferrite area and thus continuously decreased with increasing δ-ferrite fraction. The different effects of δ-ferrite fraction on pitting corrosion and interphase corrosion were carefully discussed in terms of alloying elements partitioning in the HAZ based on thermodynamic consideration. - Highlights: • Corrosion behavior in the weld HAZ of high-nitrogen austenitic alloy was studied. • Cr 2 N particle was not precipitated in high heat input welded HAZ of tested alloy. • Pitting corrosion and interphase corrosion show a different behavior. • Pitting corrosion resistance was affected by whether or not δ-ferrite forms. • Interphase corrosion resistance was affected by the total amount of δ-ferrite

Influence of nitrogen on the sensitization, corrosion, mechanical, and microstructural properties of stainless steels. Second annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, W.A.T.

1983-04-01

In order to elucidate the mechanistic role of nitrogen on the SCC of austenitic stainless steels in high temperature water, slow-strain-rate tests in 0.01M Na 2 SO 4 and 0.01M NaCl aqueous solutions, at 250 0 C, and metallographic observations of the microstructure by TEM and SEM were carried out in the current study on austenitic stainless steels with various nitrogen contents

Investigation of the applicability of some pre expressions for austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfonsson, E.; Qvarfort, R.

1992-01-01

The alloying elements known to be most important for the pitting resistance of austenitic stainless steels are chromium, molybdenum and nitrogen. Several authors have tried to quantify the influence of these elements by expressions giving the relative influence of each element. By such an expression a ''pitting resistance equivalent, PRE'', can be calculated for a certain alloy. Recently it has become rather common among both producers and users of stainless steels to discuss pitting resistance in terms of PRE. In the present work, critical pitting temperatures, CPT, was determined in 1 M NaCl for a wide spectrum of austenitic stainless steels. With a newly developed electrochemical cell, the CPT can be determined with high accuracy as crevice corrosion in the specimen mount can be completely eliminated during test. The correlation between the experimental results and some PRE expressions from the literature is discussed

Pitting corrosion resistant austenite stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooyen, D.; Bandy, R.

A pitting corrosion resistant austenite stainless steel comprises 17 to 28 wt. % chromium, 15 to 26 wt. % nickel, 5 to 8 wt. % molybdenum, and 0.3 to 0.5 wt. % nitrogen, the balance being iron, unavoidable impurities, minor additions made in the normal course of melting and casting alloys of this type, and may optionally include up to 10 wt. % of manganese, up to 5 wt. % of silicon, and up to 0.08 wt. % of carbon.

Aging behaviour of 25Cr-17Mn high nitrogen duplex stainless steel

OpenAIRE

Machado, I. F.; Padilha, A. F.

2000-01-01

The precipitation behaviour of a nickel free stainless steel containing 25% chromium, 17% manganese and 0.54% nitrogen, with duplex ferritic-austenitic microstructure, was studied using several complementary techniques of microstructural analysis after aging heat treatments between 600 and 1 000 degrees C for periods of lime between 15 and 6 000 min. During aging heat treatments, ferrite was decomposed into sigma phase and austenite by a eutectoid reaction, like in the Fe-Cr-Ni duplex stainle...

Effect of nitrogen ion dose on the corrosion resistance, the microstructure and the phase structure of the biomaterials austenitic stainless steel 316L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lely Susita RM; Bambang Siswanto; Ihwanul Aziz; Anjar Anggraini H

2016-01-01

The succeed of the use of biomaterials for orthopedic implant device is determined by its mechanical properties, chemical stability and biocompatibility in tissues and body fluids. The corrosion resistance is one of the main property of biomaterials to determine for successful orthopedic implant in body tissues. Surface modification is carried out to improve biomaterial surface properties of austenitic stainless steel 316L with nitrogen ion implantation technique and ion nitriding. Nitrogen ion implantation performed on 60 keV ion energy and ion dose variations 2 x 10"1"6 ions/cm"2- 2 x 10"1"7 ions/cm"2. The corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steel 316L in Hanks solution is measured by using a potentiostat, and corrosion resistance optimum of a sample is obtained at an ion dose of 5 x 10"1"6 ions/cm"2 and increase by a factor of 2.1 if compared to the sample without the nitrogen ion implantation. Further the sample of austenitic stainless steel 316L with the optimum corrosion resistance is processed by ion nitriding technique at a nitriding temperature of 350 °C and nitriding time of 4 hours. Based on corrosion test of the sample produced by ion nitriding is obtained an increasing the corrosion resistance by a factor of 2.96 when compared to the sample before nitrogen ion implantation. The improvement of corrosion resistance of the sample is caused by the formation of iron nitride ξ-Fe2N and γ- Fe4N which has excellent corrosion resistance properties. (author)

submitter Physical Properties of a High-Strength Austenitic Stainless Steel for the Precompression Structure of the ITER Central Solenoid

CERN Document Server

Sgobba, Stefano; Arauzo, Ana; Roussel, Pascal; Libeyre, Paul

2016-01-01

The ITER central solenoid (CS) consists of six independent coils kept together by a precompression support structure that must react vertical tensile loads and provide sufficient preload to maintain coil-to-coil contact when the solenoid is energized. The CS precompression system includes tie plates, lower and upper key blocks, load distribution and isolation plates and other attachment, support and insulating hardware. The tie plates operating at 4 K are manufactured starting from forgings in a high-strength austenitic stainless steel (FXM-19) with a stringent specification. Moreover, forged components for the lower and upper key blocks have to be provided in the same FXM-19 grade with comparably strict requirements. FXM-19 is a high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel, featuring high strength and toughness, ready weldability, and forgeability. It features as well higher integral thermal contraction down to 4 K compared with the very high Mn steel grade selected for the CS coil jackets, hence providing an ad...

Dynamic strain ageing of deformed nitrogen-alloyed AISI 316 stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrnsten, U.; Toivonen, A.; Ivanchenko, M.; Nevdacha, V.; Yagozinskyy, Y.; Haenninen, H.

2004-01-01

Intergranular stress corrosion cracking has occurred in BWR environment in non-sensitized, deformed austenitic stainless steel materials. The affecting parameters are so far not fully known, but deformation mechanisms may be decisive. The effect of deformation and nitrogen content on the behaviour of austenitic stainless steels was investigated. The materials were austenitic stainless steels of AISI 316L type with different amounts of nitrogen (0.03 - 0.18%) and they were mechanically deformed 0, 5 and 20%. The investigations are focused on the dynamic strain ageing (DSA) behaviour. A few crack growth rate measurements are performed on nuclear grade AISI 316NG material with different degrees of deformation (0, 5 and 20%). The effects of DSA on mechanical properties of these materials are evaluated based on peaks in ultimate tensile strength and strain hardening coefficient and minimum in ductility in the DSA temperature range. Additionally, internal friction measurements have been performed in the temperature range of -100 to 600 deg. C for determining nitrogen interactions with other alloying elements and dislocations (cold-worked samples). The results show an effect of nitrogen on the stainless steel behaviour, e.g. clear indications of dynamic strain ageing and changes in the internal friction peaks as a function of nitrogen content and amount of deformation. (authors)

Solid state alloying by plasma nitriding and diffusion annealing treatment for austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinedo, C.E.; Vatavuk, J.; Oliveira, S.D. de; Tschiptschin, A.P.

1999-01-01

Nitrogen has been added to stainless steels to improve mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. High nitrogen steel production is limited by high gas pressure requirements and low nitrogen solubility in the melt. One way to overcome this limitation is the addition of nitrogen in solid state because of its higher solubility in austenite. However, gas and salt bath nitriding have been done at temperatures around 550 C, where nitrogen solubility in the steel is still very low. High temperature nitriding has been, thus proposed to increase nitrogen contents in the steel but the presence of oxide layers on top of the steel is a barrier to nitrogen intake. In this paper a modified plasma nitriding process is proposed. The first step of this process is a hydrogen plasma sputtering for oxide removal, exposing active steel surface improving nitrogen pickup. This is followed by a nitriding step where high nitrogen contents are introduced in the outermost layer of the steel. Diffusion annealing is then performed in order to allow nitrogen diffusion into the core. AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel was plasma nitrided and diffusion annealed at 1423K, for 6 hours, with 0.2 MPa nitrogen pressure. The nitrided steel presented ∝60 μm outermost compact layer of (Fe,Cr) 3 N and (Fe,Cr) 4 N with 11 wt.% N measured by surface depth profiling chemical analysis - GDS system. During the annealing treatment the nitride layer was dissolved and nitrogen diffused to the core of the sample leaving more even nitrogen distribution into the steel. Using this technique one-millimetre thick sample were obtained having high nitrogen content and uniform distribution through the thickness. (orig.)

High nitrogen stainless steels for nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamachi Mudali, U.

2016-01-01

Nitrogen alloying in stainless steels (SS) has myriad beneficial effects, including solid solution strengthening, precipitation effects, phase control and corrosion resistance. Recent years have seen a rapid development of these alloys with improved properties owing to advances in processing technologies. Furthermore, unlimited demands for high-performance advanced steels for special use in advanced applications renewed the interest in high nitrogen steels (HNS). The combination of numbers of attractive properties such as strength, fracture toughness, wear resistance, workability, magnetic properties and corrosion resistance of HNS has given a unique advantage and offers a number of prospective applications in different industries. Based on extensive studies carried out at IGCAR, nitrogen alloyed type 304LN SS and 316LN SS have been chosen as materials of construction for many engineering components of fast breeder reactor (FBR) and associated reprocessing plants. HNS austenitic SS alloys are used as structural/reactor components, i.e., main vessel, inner vessel, control plug, intermediate heat exchanger and main sodium piping for fast breeder reactor. HNS type 304LN SS is a candidate material for continuous dissolver, nuclear waste storage tanks, pipings, etc. for nitric acid service under highly corrosive conditions. Recent developments towards the manufacturing and properties of HNS alloys for application in nuclear industry are highlighted in the presentation. (author)

A review of hot cracking in austenitic stainless steel weldments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shankar, V.; Gill, T.P.S.; Mannan, S.L.; Rodriguez, P.

1991-01-01

The occurrence of hot cracking in austenitic stainless steel weldments is discussed with respect to its origin and metallurgical contributory factors. Of the three types of hot cracking, namely solidification cracking, liquation and ductility dip cracking, solidification cracking occurs in the interdendritic regions in weld metal while liquation and ductility dip cracking occur intergranularly in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). Segregation of impurity and minor elements such as sulphur, phosphorous, silicon, niobium, boron etc to form low melting eutectic phases has been found to be the major cause of hot cracking. Control of HAZ cracking requires minimisation of impurity elements in the base metal. In stabilized stainless steels containing niobium, higher amounts of delta-ferrite have been found necessary to prevent cracking than in unstabilized compositions. Titanium compounds have been found to cause liquation cracking in maraging steels and titanium containing stainless steels and superalloys. In nitrogen added stainless steels, cracking resistance decreases when the solidification mode changes to primary austenitic due to nitrogen addition. A review of the test methods to evaluate hot cracking behaviour showed that several external restraint and semi-self-restraint tests are available. The finger Test, WRC Fissure Bend Test, the PVR test and the Varestraint Test are described along with typical test results. Hot ductility testing to reveal HAZ cracking tendency during welding is described, which is of particular importance to stabilized stainless steels. Based on the literature, recommendations are made for welding stabilized and nitrogen added steels, indicating areas of further work. (author). 81 refs., 30 figs., 1 tab

Cryogenic properties of V-bearing austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nohara, Kiyohiko

1985-01-01

A new type austenitic stainless steel which is expected as the cryogenic structural material for superconducting magnets has been developed. This steel is that vanadium was added to SUS 316 stainless steel of low carbon and high nitrogen, which has the sufficient strength and toughness at 4 K, and maintains the stable nonmagnetic state. This is applicable both to the solution state and the state of carrying out age hardening heat treatment for precipitating Nb 3 Sn subsequent to it. Accordingly, this material can be applied to the sheath material for nuclear fusion and the manufacture of superconducting magnets by Wind and React process besides the candidate material of superconducting magnets for nuclear fusion. This phenomenon is due to the fact that vanadium carbide precipitates in crystal grains before chrome carbide precipitates at grain boundaries, thus the precipitation of chrome carbide is suppressed. In this experiment, the effect of vanadium addition on the cryogenic properties of SUS 316 stainless steel was examined. The experimental method and the results of the effects of vanadium and nitrogen, solution treatment and precipitation aging, and the measurement of magnetism are reported. (Kako, I.)

Hot Ductility Behaviors in the Weld Heat-Affected Zone of Nitrogen-Alloyed Fe-18Cr-10Mn Austenitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Joonoh; Lee, Tae-Ho; Hong, Hyun-Uk

2015-04-01

Hot ductility behaviors in the weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) of nitrogen-alloyed Fe-18Cr-10Mn austenitic stainless steels with different nitrogen contents were evaluated through hot tension tests using Gleeble simulator. The results of Gleeble simulations indicated that hot ductility in the HAZs deteriorated due to the formation of δ-ferrite and intergranular Cr2N particles. In addition, the amount of hot ductility degradation was strongly affected by the fraction of δ-ferrite.

Synergistic Computational and Microstructural Design of Next- Generation High-Temperature Austenitic Stainless Steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karaman, Ibrahim [Texas A& M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station, TX (United States); Arroyave, Raymundo [Texas A& M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station, TX (United States)

2015-07-31

The purpose of this project was to: 1) study deformation twinning, its evolution, thermal stability, and the contribution on mechanical response of the new advanced stainless steels, especially at elevated temperatures; 2) study alumina-scale formation on the surface, as an alternative for conventional chromium oxide, that shows better oxidation resistance, through alloy design; and 3) design new generation of high temperature stainless steels that form alumina scale and have thermally stable nano-twins. The work involved few baseline alloys for investigating the twin formation under tensile loading, thermal stability of these twins, and the role of deformation twins on the mechanical response of the alloys. These baseline alloys included Hadfield Steel (Fe-13Mn-1C), 316, 316L and 316N stainless steels. Another baseline alloy was studied for alumina-scale formation investigations. Hadfield steel showed twinning but undesired second phases formed at higher temperatures. 316N stainless steel did not show signs of deformation twinning. Conventional 316 stainless steel demonstrated extensive deformation twinning at room temperature. Investigations on this alloy, both in single crystalline and polycrystalline forms, showed that deformation twins evolve in a hierarchical manner, consisting of micron–sized bundles of nano-twins. The width of nano-twins stays almost constant as the extent of strain increases, but the width and number of the bundles increase with increasing strain. A systematic thermomechanical cycling study showed that the twins were stable at temperatures as high as 900°C, after the dislocations are annealed out. Using such cycles, volume fraction of the thermally stable deformation twins were increased up to 40% in 316 stainless steel. Using computational thermodynamics and kinetics calculations, we designed two generations of advanced austenitic stainless steels. In the first generation, Alloy 1, which had been proposed as an alumina

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure investigation of nitrogen stabilized expanded austenite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oddershede, Jette; Christiansen, Thomas; Ståhl, Kenny

2010-01-01

As-delivered austenitic stainless steel and nitrogen stabilized expanded austenite, both fully nitrided and denitrided (in H2), were investigated with Cr, Fe and Ni extended X-ray absorption fine structure. The data shows pronounced short-range ordering of Cr and N. For the denitrided specimen...

Solidification behavior of austenitic stainless steel filler metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, S.A.; Goodwin, G.M.; Braski, D.N.

1980-02-01

Thermal analysis and interrupted solidification experiments on selected austenitic stainless steel filler metals provided an understanding of the solidification behavior of austenitic stainless steel welds. The sequences of phase separations found were for type 308 stainless steel filler metal, L + L + delta + L + delta + γ → γ + delta, and for type 310 stainless steel filler metal, L → L + γ → γ. In type 308 stainless steel filler metal, ferrite at room temperature was identified as either the untransformed primary delta-ferrite formed during the initial stages of solidification or the residual ferrite after Widmanstaetten austenite precipitation. Microprobe and scanning transmission electron microscope microanalyses revealed that solute extensively redistributes during the transformation of primary delta-ferrite to austenite, leading to enrichment and stabilization of ferrite by chromium. The type 310 stainless steel filler metal investigated solidifies by the primary crystallization of austenite, with the transformation going to completion at the solidus temperature. In our samples residual ferrite resulting from solute segregation was absent at the intercellular or interdendritic regions

The sub-zero Celsius treatment of precipitation hardenable semi-austenitic stainless steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, Matteo; Hansen, Mikkel Fougt; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2015-01-01

A precipitation hardenable semi-austenitic stainless steel AISI 632 grade was austenitized according to industrial specifications and thereafter subjected to isothermal treatment at sub-zero Celsius temperatures. During treatment, austenite transformed to martensite. The isothermal austenite-to-martensite...... treatment. Magnetometry showed that the additional thermal step in boiling nitrogen yields a minor increment of the fraction of martensite, but has a noteworthy accelerating effect on the transformation kinetics, which more pronounced when the isothermal holding is performed at a higher temperature. Data...... is interpreted in terms of instantaneous nucleation of martensite during cooling followed by time dependent growth during isothermal holding....

Austenitic stainless steel weld inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mech, S.J.; Emmons, J.S.; Michaels, T.E.

1978-01-01

Analytical techniques applied to ultrasonic waveforms obtained from inspection of austenitic stainless steel welds are described. Experimental results obtained from a variety of geometric and defect reflectors are presented. Specifically, frequency analyses parameters, such as simple moments of the power spectrum, cross-correlation techniques, and adaptive learning network analysis, all represent improvements over conventional time domain analysis of ultrasonic waveforms. Results for each of these methods are presented, and the overall inspection difficulties of austenitic stainless steel welds are discussed

The Formation of Martensitic Austenite During Nitridation of Martensitic and Duplex Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Zangiabadi, Amirali; Dalton, John C.; Wang, Danqi; Ernst, Frank; Heuer, Arthur H.

2017-01-01

Isothermal martensite/ferrite-to-austenite phase transformations have been observed after low-temperature nitridation in the martensite and δ-ferrite phases in 15-5 PH (precipitation hardening), 17-7 PH, and 2205 (duplex) stainless steels. These transformations, in the region with nitrogen concentrations of 8 to 16 at. pct, are consistent with the notion that nitrogen is a strong austenite stabilizer and substitutional diffusion is effectively frozen at the paraequilibrium temperatures of our experiments. Our microstructural and diffraction analyses provide conclusive evidence for the martensitic nature of these phase transformations.

Phase transformation system of austenitic stainless steels obtained by permanent compressive strain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okayasu, Mitsuhiro, E-mail: mitsuhiro.okayasu@utoronto.ca; Tomida, Sai

2017-01-27

In order to understand more completely the formation of strain-induced martensite, phase structures were investigated both before and after plastic deformation, using austenitic stainless steels of various chemical compositions (carbon C=0.007–0.04 mass% and molybdenum Mo=0–2.10 mass%) and varying pre-strain levels (0–30%). Although the stainless steels consisted mainly of γ austenite, two martensite structures were generated following plastic deformation, comprising ε and α′ martensite. The martensitic structures were obtained in the twin deformation and slip bands. The severity of martensite formation (ε and α′) increased with increasing C content. It was found that α′ martensite was formed mainly in austenitic stainless steel lacking Mo, whereas a high Mo content led to a strong ε martensite structure, i.e. a weak α′ martensite. The formation of α′ martensite occurred from γ austenite via ε martensite, and was related to the slip deformation. Molybdenum in austenitic stainless steel had high slip resistance (or weak stress-induced martensite transformation), because of the stacking fault energy of the stainless steel affecting the austenite stability. This resulted in the creation of weak α′ martensite. Models of the martensitic transformations γ (fcc)→ε (hcp)→α′ (bcc) were proposed on both the microscopic and nanoscopic scales. The α′ martensite content of austenitic stainless steel led to high tensile strength; conversely, ε martensite had a weak effect on the mechanical strength. The influence of martensitic formation on the mechanical properties was evaluated quantitatively by statistical analysis.

Controlled dissolution of colossal quantities of nitrogen in stainless steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2006-01-01

The solubility of nitrogen in austenitic stainless steel was investigated thermogravimetrically by equilibrating thin foils of AISI 304 and AISI 316 in ammonia/hydrogen gas mixtures. Controlled dissolution of colossal amounts of nitrogen under metastable equilibrium conditions was realized...

Transformation in austenitic stainless steel sheet under different loading directions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boogaard, Antonius H.; Krauer, J.; Hora, P.

2011-01-01

The stress-strain relation for austenitic stainless steels is based on 2 main contributions: work hardening and a phase transformation from austenite to martensite. The transformation is highly temperature dependent. In most models for phase transformation from austenite to martensite, the stress

Transformation in Austenitic Stainless Steel Sheet under Different Loading Directions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boogaard, Antonius H.; Krauer, J.; Hora, P.

2011-01-01

The stress-strain relation for austenitic stainless steels is based on 2 main contributions: work hardening and a phase transformation from austenite to martensite. The transformation is highly temperature dependent. In most models for phase transformation from austenite to martensite, the stress

Austenitic Reversion of Cryo-rolled Ti-Stabilized Austenitic Stainless Steel: High-Resolution EBSD Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Tiamiyu, A. A.; Odeshi, A. G.; Szpunar, J. A.

2018-02-01

In this study, AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel (ASS) was cryo-rolled and subsequently annealed at 650 and 800 °C to reverse BCC α'-martensite to FCC γ-austenite. The texture evolution associated with the reversion at the selected temperatures was investigated using high-resolution EBSD. After the reversion, TiC precipitates were observed to be more stable in 650 °C-annealed specimens than those reversed at 800 °C. {110} texture was mainly developed in specimens subjected to both annealing temperatures. However, specimens reversed at 650 °C have stronger texture than those annealed at 800 °C, even at the higher annealing time. The strong intensity of {110} texture component is attributed to the ability of AISI 321 ASS to memorize the crystallographic orientation of the deformed austenite, a phenomenon termed texture memory. The development of weaker texture in 800 °C-annealed specimens is attributed to the residual strain relief in grains, dissolution of grain boundary precipitates, and an increase in atomic migration along the grain boundaries. Based on the observed features of the reversed austenite grains and estimation from an existing model, it is suspected that the austenite reversion at 650 and 800 °C undergone diffusional and martensitic shear reversion, respectively.

Characterization of microstructure and texture across dissimilar super duplex/austenitic stainless steel weldment joint by austenitic filler metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eghlimi, Abbas; Shamanian, Morteza; Eskandarian, Masoomeh; Zabolian, Azam; Szpunar, Jerzy A.

2015-01-01

The evolution of microstructure and texture across an as-welded dissimilar UNS S32750 super duplex/UNS S30403 austenitic stainless steel joint welded by UNS S30986 (AWS A5.9 ER309LMo) austenitic stainless steel filler metal using gas tungsten arc welding process was evaluated by optical micrography and EBSD techniques. Due to their fabrication through rolling process, both parent metals had texture components resulted from deformation and recrystallization. The weld metal showed the highest amount of residual strain and had large austenite grain colonies of similar orientations with little amounts of skeletal ferrite, both oriented preferentially in the < 001 > direction with cub-on-cube orientation relationship. While the super duplex stainless steel's heat affected zone contained higher ferrite than its parent metal, an excessive grain growth was observed at the austenitic stainless steel's counterpart. At both heat affected zones, austenite underwent some recrystallization and formed twin boundaries which led to an increase in the fraction of high angle boundaries as compared with the respective base metals. These regions showed the least amount of residual strain and highest amount of recrystallized austenite grains. Due to the static recrystallization, the fraction of low degree of fit (Σ) coincident site lattice boundaries, especially Σ3 boundaries, was increased in the austenitic stainless steel heat affected zone, while the formation of subgrains in the ferrite phase increased the content of < 5° low angle boundaries at that of the super duplex stainless steel. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Extensive grain growth in the HAZ of austenitic stainless steel was observed. • Intensification of < 100 > orientated grains was observed adjacent to both fusion lines. • Annealing twins with Σ3 CSL boundaries were formed in the austenite of both HAZ. • Cub-on-cube OR was observed between austenite and ferrite in the weld

Characterization of microstructure and texture across dissimilar super duplex/austenitic stainless steel weldment joint by austenitic filler metal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eghlimi, Abbas, E-mail: a.eghlimi@ma.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shamanian, Morteza [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Eskandarian, Masoomeh [Department of Materials Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71348-51154 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zabolian, Azam [Department of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Szpunar, Jerzy A. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9 (Canada)

2015-08-15

The evolution of microstructure and texture across an as-welded dissimilar UNS S32750 super duplex/UNS S30403 austenitic stainless steel joint welded by UNS S30986 (AWS A5.9 ER309LMo) austenitic stainless steel filler metal using gas tungsten arc welding process was evaluated by optical micrography and EBSD techniques. Due to their fabrication through rolling process, both parent metals had texture components resulted from deformation and recrystallization. The weld metal showed the highest amount of residual strain and had large austenite grain colonies of similar orientations with little amounts of skeletal ferrite, both oriented preferentially in the < 001 > direction with cub-on-cube orientation relationship. While the super duplex stainless steel's heat affected zone contained higher ferrite than its parent metal, an excessive grain growth was observed at the austenitic stainless steel's counterpart. At both heat affected zones, austenite underwent some recrystallization and formed twin boundaries which led to an increase in the fraction of high angle boundaries as compared with the respective base metals. These regions showed the least amount of residual strain and highest amount of recrystallized austenite grains. Due to the static recrystallization, the fraction of low degree of fit (Σ) coincident site lattice boundaries, especially Σ3 boundaries, was increased in the austenitic stainless steel heat affected zone, while the formation of subgrains in the ferrite phase increased the content of < 5° low angle boundaries at that of the super duplex stainless steel. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Extensive grain growth in the HAZ of austenitic stainless steel was observed. • Intensification of < 100 > orientated grains was observed adjacent to both fusion lines. • Annealing twins with Σ3 CSL boundaries were formed in the austenite of both HAZ. • Cub-on-cube OR was observed between austenite and ferrite in the weld

XPS study of the passive films formed on nitrogen-implanted austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcus, P.; Bussell, M.E.

1992-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels (304-type) have been implanted with nitrogen ions in order to investigate the effects of implanted nitrogen on their electrochemical behaviour and on the nature of the passive film formed on the steels in acid (0.5M H 2 SO 4 ). Alloys with two nitrogen doses have been prepared (2.5x10 16 and 2x10 17 N atoms/cm 2 ). The implanted alloys have been characterized by 15 N-NRA (nuclear reaction analysis) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Alloy surfaces with well-defined N concentrations were prepared, prior to the electrochemical measurements, by argon-ion sputtering of the implanted material for a fixed time in order to reach a well-defined point on the nitrogen depth profile. The samples were then transferred without exposure to air to an electrochemical cell mounted in an inert gas glove box. The implanted nitrogen modifies the electrochemical behaviour of the alloy. The anodic dissolution in the active state is enhanced, and the current density in the passive state is increased. Surface analysis of the alloys by XPS after passivation shows that implanted nitrogen is enriched on the surface during dissolution and passivation of the alloys. The process by which N is enriched on the surface is anodic segregation, which was first observed and characterized for S on Ni and Ni-Fe alloys. The passive films formed on both the unimplanted and implanted alloys have a bilayer structure with an inner oxide layer and an outer hydroxide layer, but on the nitrogen-implanted alloy, a chromium nitride phase is formed at the expense of the chromium oxide. After passivation of the implanted alloys, three chemical states of nitrogen are detected in the N 1s spectrum. The high binding energy (399.4 eV) peak corresponds to a nitrogen species located on the surface of the passive film, which is produced by reaction of the implanted nitrogen with the solution. (orig./WL)

Mechanical Properties of High Manganese Austenitic Stainless Steel JK2LB for ITER Central Solenoid Jacket Material

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Toru; Kawano, Katsumi; Yamazaki, Toru; Ozeki, Hidemasa; Isono, Takaaki; Hamada, Kazuya; Devred, Arnaud; Vostner, Alexander

A suite of advanced austenitic stainless steels are used for the ITER TF, CS and PF coil systems.These materials will be exposed to cyclic-stress at cryogenic temperature. Therefore, high manganese austenitic stainless steel JK2LB, which has high tensile strength, high ductility and high resistance to fatigue at 4 K has been chosen for the CS conductor. The cryogenic temperature mechanical property data of this material are very important for the ITER magnet design. This study is focused on mechanical characteristics of JK2LB and its weld joint.

Consitutive modeling of metastable austenitic stainless steel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perdahcioglu, Emin Semih; Perdahcioglu, Emin Semih

2008-01-01

Metastable austenitic stainless steels combine high formability and high strength, which are generally opposing properties in materials. This property is a consequence of the martensitic phase transformation that takes place during deformation. This transformation is purely mechanically induced

Precipitation reactions caused by nitrogen uptake during service at high temperatures of a niobium stabilised austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erneman, J.; Schwind, M.; Liu, P.; Nilsson, J.-O.; Andren, H.-O.; Aagren, J.

2004-01-01

Precipitation phenomena in type 347 austenitic stainless steels have been investigated after long-term heat treatment and creep in air at 700 and 800 deg. C. Nitrogen uptake was observed during long-term creep testing at 800 deg. C. No such effect was observed at 700 deg. C although times up to about 70,000 h were used. The major phases precipitated after long time exposure at 800 deg. C were primary Nb(C,N), Z-phase, Cr 2 N and M 23 C 6 , while primary Nb(C,N), secondary Nb(C,N) and σ-phase were the major phases at 700 deg. C. Z-phase precipitated in both intragranular and intergranular form at 800 deg. C. Large precipitates exhibiting a core/rim structure showed a rim of Z-phase surrounding undissolved primary Nb(C,N). The microstructural evolution during creep deformation in air at 800 deg. C was modelled thermodynamically. The model satisfactorily predicts nitrogen uptake and the essential features of the evolution of the microstructure with time. The precipitation sequence could be qualitatively described, although it was not possible to model the formation of all precipitates

Study of irradiation damage structures in austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamada, Shozo [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1997-08-01

The irradiation damage microstructures in austenitic stainless steels, which have been proposed to be a candidate of structural materials of a fusion reactor, under ions and neutrons irradiation have been studied. In ion irradiation experiments, cross-sectional observation of the depth distribution of damage formed due to ion irradiation became available. Comparison and discussion between experimental results with TEM and the calculated ones in the depth profiles of irradiation damage microstructures. Further, dual-phase stainless steels, consisted of ferritic/austenitic phases, showed irradiation-induced/enhanced precipitation during ion irradiation. High Flux Isotope Reactor with high neutron fluxes was employed in neutron-irradiation experiments. Swelling of 316 steel showed irradiation temperature dependence and this had strong correlation with phase instability under heavy damage level. Swelling resistance of Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel, which has good swelling resistance, decreased during high damage level. This might be caused by the instability of Ti-carbide particles. The preparation method to reduce higher radioactivity of neutron-irradiated TEM specimen was developed. (author). 176 refs.

Study of irradiation damage structures in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, Shozo

1997-08-01

The irradiation damage microstructures in austenitic stainless steels, which have been proposed to be a candidate of structural materials of a fusion reactor, under ions and neutrons irradiation have been studied. In ion irradiation experiments, cross-sectional observation of the depth distribution of damage formed due to ion irradiation became available. Comparison and discussion between experimental results with TEM and the calculated ones in the depth profiles of irradiation damage microstructures. Further, dual-phase stainless steels, consisted of ferritic/austenitic phases, showed irradiation-induced/enhanced precipitation during ion irradiation. High Flux Isotope Reactor with high neutron fluxes was employed in neutron-irradiation experiments. Swelling of 316 steel showed irradiation temperature dependence and this had strong correlation with phase instability under heavy damage level. Swelling resistance of Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel, which has good swelling resistance, decreased during high damage level. This might be caused by the instability of Ti-carbide particles. The preparation method to reduce higher radioactivity of neutron-irradiated TEM specimen was developed. (author). 176 refs

Strain hardening of cold-rolled lean-alloyed metastable ferritic-austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papula, Suvi [Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, P.O. Box 14200, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Anttila, Severi [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4200, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Talonen, Juho [Outokumpu Oyj, P.O. Box 245, FI-00181 Helsinki (Finland); Sarikka, Teemu; Virkkunen, Iikka; Hänninen, Hannu [Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, P.O. Box 14200, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland)

2016-11-20

Mechanical properties and strain hardening of two pilot-scale lean-alloyed ferritic-austenitic stainless steels having metastable austenite phase, present at 0.50 and 0.30 volume fractions, have been studied by means of tensile testing and nanoindentation. These ferritic-austenitic stainless steels have high strain-hardening capacity, due to the metastable austenite phase, which leads to an improved uniform elongation and higher tensile strength in comparison with most commercial lean duplex stainless steels. According to the results, even as low as 0.30 volume fraction of austenite seems efficient for achieving nearly 40% elongation. The austenite phase is initially the harder phase, and exhibits more strain hardening than the ferrite phase. The rate of strain hardening and the evolution of the martensite phase were found to depend on the loading direction: both are higher when strained in the rolling direction as compared to the transverse direction. Based on the mechanical testing, characterization of the microstructure by optical/electron microscopy, magnetic balance measurements and EBSD texture analysis, this anisotropy in mechanical properties of the cold-rolled metastable ferritic-austenitic stainless steels can be explained by the elongated dual-phase microstructure, fiber reinforcement effect of the harder austenite phase and the presence and interplay of rolling textures in the two phases.

Expanded austenite in nitrided layers deposited on austenitic and super austenitic stainless steel grades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casteletti, L.C.; Fernandes, F.A.P.; Heck, S.C.; Gallego, J.

2010-01-01

In this work nitrided layers deposited on austenitic and super austenitic stainless steels were analyzed through optical microscopy and X-rays diffraction analysis (XRD). It was observed that the formation of N supersaturated phase, called expanded austenite, has promoted significant increment of hardness (> 1000HV). XRD results have indicated the anomalous displacement of the diffracted peaks, in comparison with the normal austenite. This behavior, combined with peaks broadening, it was analyzed in different nitriding temperatures which results showed good agreement with the literature. (author)

Influence of Silicon on Swelling and Microstructure in Russian Austenitic Stainless Steels Irradiated to High Neutron Doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porollo, S.I.; Shulepin, S.V.; Konobeev, Y.V.; Garner, F.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows: For some applications in fusion devices austenitic stainless steels are still considered to be candidates for use as structural components, but high neutron exposures must be endured by the steels. Operational experience of fast reactors in Western Europe, USA and Japan provides evidence of the possible use of austenitic steels up to ∼ 150 dpa. Studies aimed at improvement of existing Russian austenitic steels are being carried out in Russia. For improvement of irradiation resistance of Russian steels it is necessary to understand the basic mechanisms responsible for deterioration of steel properties. This understanding can be achieved by continuing detailed investigations of the microstructure of cladding steels after irradiation to high doses. By investigating the evolution of radiation-induced microstructure in neutron irradiated steels of different chemical composition one can study the effect of chemical variations on steel properties. Silicon is one of the most important chemical elements that strongly influence the behavior of austenitic steel properties under irradiation. In this paper results are presented of investigations of the effect of silicon additions on void swelling and microstructure of base austenitic stainless steel EI-847 (0.06C-16Cr-15Ni- 3Mo-Nb) irradiated as fuel pin cladding of both regular and experimental assemblies in the BOR-60, BN-350 and BN-600 fast reactors to neutron doses up to 49 dpa. The possible mechanisms of silicon's effect on void swelling in austenitic stainless steels are presented and analyzed. (authors)

The Effects of Nitrogen Gas on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of TIG Welded S32205 Duplex Stainless Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aziz Barış Başyiğit

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Duplex stainless steels are gaining greater interest due to their increasing amounts of application fields. Accordingly, there is a need for awareness of problems associated with improper microstructural distributions such as δ-ferrite (delta-ferrite, austenite and other important intermetallic phases that may form in these steel weldments. Since δ-ferrite versus austenite ratio profoundly influences corrosion and mechanical properties, optimum δ-ferrite ratios must be kept approximately within 35–65 vol % and balance austenite to maintain satisfactory corrosion and mechanical properties on welding of these steels. Cooling rates of welds and alloying elements in base metal are the major factors that determine the final microstructure of these steels. In this work, 3 mm thickness of 2205 duplex stainless-steel plates were TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas welded with various amounts of nitrogen gas added to argon shielding gas. Specimens were joined within the same welding parameters and cooling conditions. As nitrogen is a potential austenite stabilizer and an interstitial solid solution hardener, the effects of nitrogen on mechanical properties such as hardness profiles, grain sizes and microstructural modifications are investigated thoroughly by changing the welding shielding gas compositions. Increasing the nitrogen content in argon shielding gas also increases the amount of austenitic phase while δ-ferrite ratios decreases. Nitrogen spherodized the grains of austenitic structure much more than observed in δ-ferrite. The strength values of specimens that welded with the addition of nitrogen gas into the argon shielding gas are increased more in both austenitic and delta-ferritic structure as compared to specimens that welded with plain argon shielding gas. The addition of 1 vol % of nitrogen gas into argon shielding gas provided the optimum phase balance of austenite and δ-ferrite in S32205 duplex stainless-steel TIG-welded specimens.

G-phase precipitation in austenitic stainless steel deformed by high pressure torsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuro, I.; Kuo, H.H.; Sasaki, T.; Hono, K.; Todaka, Y.; Umemoto, M.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Using TEM and APT analyses, G-phase precipitation was observed in HPTed SUS304 with no trace of spinodal decomposition. ► G-phase precipitation occurred much shorter time than previous studies probably due to the elimination of prior SD and enhanced diffusion by severe plastic deformation. ► G-phase composition is a function of aging time. ► Tensile tests showed that in SUS304 embrittlement occurs solely due to G-phase precipitation. - Abstract: G phase an intermetallic silicide has been observed in martensite of precipitation hardened stainless steels and in the ferrite of dual (austenite and ferrite) phase stainless steels. In both cases, before G-phase precipitates, the matrix composition changes due to spinodal decomposition and solute partitioning between ferrite and austenite. Thus in the present study, single bcc phase and high Ni content stainless steel, was selected to study G-phase precipitation expecting elimination of the interference from spinodal decomposition and solute partitioning. Fe–18Cr–8Ni (SUS304) austenitic stainless steel samples were deformed at room temperature by high pressure torsion to obtain 100% volume fraction of deformation induced martensite (α′). HPT deformation was chosen due to its ability to induce high strength by grain refinement and also attain 100% α′ at room temperature. After annealing at 400 °C for 500 h, G-phase precipitation was observed in the fully martensitic matrix without spinodal decomposition. Crystallographic analysis of annealed samples using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detected a Mn–Ni–Si rich G-phase with fcc crystal structure with lattice parameter of 1.16 nm. The value of lattice parameter corresponds well with previously reported values. Chemical analysis by atom probe tomography (APT) showed G-phase of composition Mn 21 Ni 50 Si 24 Fe 4 Cr. Tensile tests showed that G-phase precipitation leads to

G-phase precipitation in austenitic stainless steel deformed by high pressure torsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shuro, I., E-mail: innoshuro@martens.me.tut.ac.jp [Functional Materials Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); Kuo, H.H. [Functional Materials Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); Sasaki, T.; Hono, K. [National Institute for Materials Sciences, Sengen 1-2-1, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Todaka, Y.; Umemoto, M. [Functional Materials Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan)

2012-08-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using TEM and APT analyses, G-phase precipitation was observed in HPTed SUS304 with no trace of spinodal decomposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer G-phase precipitation occurred much shorter time than previous studies probably due to the elimination of prior SD and enhanced diffusion by severe plastic deformation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer G-phase composition is a function of aging time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tensile tests showed that in SUS304 embrittlement occurs solely due to G-phase precipitation. - Abstract: G phase an intermetallic silicide has been observed in martensite of precipitation hardened stainless steels and in the ferrite of dual (austenite and ferrite) phase stainless steels. In both cases, before G-phase precipitates, the matrix composition changes due to spinodal decomposition and solute partitioning between ferrite and austenite. Thus in the present study, single bcc phase and high Ni content stainless steel, was selected to study G-phase precipitation expecting elimination of the interference from spinodal decomposition and solute partitioning. Fe-18Cr-8Ni (SUS304) austenitic stainless steel samples were deformed at room temperature by high pressure torsion to obtain 100% volume fraction of deformation induced martensite ({alpha} Prime ). HPT deformation was chosen due to its ability to induce high strength by grain refinement and also attain 100% {alpha} Prime at room temperature. After annealing at 400 Degree-Sign C for 500 h, G-phase precipitation was observed in the fully martensitic matrix without spinodal decomposition. Crystallographic analysis of annealed samples using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detected a Mn-Ni-Si rich G-phase with fcc crystal structure with lattice parameter of 1.16 nm. The value of lattice parameter corresponds well with previously reported values. Chemical analysis by atom probe tomography

Studies on Stress Corrosion Cracking of Super 304H Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Prabha, B.; Sundaramoorthy, P.; Suresh, S.; Manimozhi, S.; Ravishankar, B.

2009-12-01

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a common mode of failure encountered in boiler components especially in austenitic stainless steel tubes at high temperature and in chloride-rich water environment. Recently, a new type of austenitic stainless steels called Super304H stainless steel, containing 3% copper is being adopted for super critical boiler applications. The SCC behavior of this Super 304H stainless steel has not been widely reported in the literature. Many researchers have studied the SCC behavior of steels as per various standards. Among them, the ASTM standard G36 has been widely used for evaluation of SCC behavior of stainless steels. In this present work, the SCC behavior of austenitic Fe-Cr-Mn-Cu-N stainless steel, subjected to chloride environments at varying strain conditions as per ASTM standard G36 has been studied. The environments employed boiling solution of 45 wt.% of MgCl2 at 155 °C, for various strain conditions. The study reveals that the crack width increases with increase in strain level in Super 304H stainless steels.

Effect of nitrogen alloying on the microstructure and abrasive wear of stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawk, J.A.; Simmons, J.W.; Rawers, J.C.

1994-01-01

Alloying stainless steels with nitrogen has distinct advantages. Nitrogen is a strong austenite stabilizer and a potent solid-solution strengthener, and nitrogen has greater solubility than carbon iron. This study investigates the relationship among nitrogen concentration, precipitate microstructure, and abrasive wear using two high-nitrogen stainless steel alloys: Fe-19Cr-5Mn-5Ni-3Mo (SS1) and Fe-16Cr-7Mn-5Ni(SS2). Alloy SS1 contained 0.7 wt% N and was solution annealed at 1,150 C, thereby dissolving the nitrogen interstitially in the austenite. Subsequent aging, or cold work and aging, at 900 C led to the grain-boundary, cellular, and transgranular precipitation of Cr 2 N. Alloy SS2 was remelted in a high-pressure (200 MPa) N 2 atmosphere, leading to a spatial gradient of nitrogen in the alloy in the form of interstitial nitrogen and Cr 2 N and CrN precipitates. Nitrogen contents varied from a low of approximately 0.7 wt% at the bottom of the billet to a high of 3.6 wt% at the top. Nitrogen in excess of approximately 0.7 wt% formed increasingly coarser and more numerous Cr 2 N and CrN precipitates. The precipitate morphology created in alloy SS1 due to aging, or cold work and aging, had little effect on the abrasive wear of the alloy. However, a decrease in the abrasive wear rate in alloy SS2 was observed to correspond to the increase in number and size of the Cr 2 N and CrN precipitates

Phase transformation by fatigue in austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Y.S.; Kwun, S.I.

1988-01-01

The effect of strain induced martensite on the fatigue behavior of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel was investigated. During low cycle fatigue, the austenitic stainless steel showed a continuous cyclic hardening until fracture. The extent of cyclic hardening increased with decreasing austenite stability. The austenite stability was controlled by different aging time and temperature, which resulted in different carbide morphologies. The fatigue crack propagation rate near ΔK th varied also with the austenite stability inside the plastic zone at the crack up. Especially, the near-threshold fatigue crack propagation rate of the grain boundary carbide precipitated condition was the lowest. This was considered to be due to the roughness induced closure caused by intergranular facet. A new model for the intergranular facet formation and the fatigue crack propagation of grain boundary carbide precipitated condition was proposed. (Author)

A Review on the Potential Use of Austenitic Stainless Steels in Nuclear Fusion Reactors

Science.gov (United States)

Şahin, Sümer; Übeyli, Mustafa

2008-12-01

Various engineering materials; austenitic stainless steels, ferritic/martensitic steels, vanadium alloys, refractory metals and composites have been suggested as candidate structural materials for nuclear fusion reactors. Among these structural materials, austenitic steels have an advantage of extensive technological database and lower cost compared to other non-ferrous candidates. Furthermore, they have also advantages of very good mechanical properties and fission operation experience. Moreover, modified austenitic stainless (Ni and Mo free) have relatively low residual radioactivity. Nevertheless, they can't withstand high neutron wall load which is required to get high power density in fusion reactors. On the other hand, a protective flowing liquid wall between plasma and solid first wall in these reactors can eliminate this restriction. This study presents an overview of austenitic stainless steels considered to be used in fusion reactors.

Attenuation capability of low activation-modified high manganese austenitic stainless steel for fusion reactor system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eissa, M.M. [Steel Technology Department, Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI), Helwan (Egypt); El-kameesy, S.U.; El-Fiki, S.A. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Ghali, S.N. [Steel Technology Department, Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI), Helwan (Egypt); El Shazly, R.M. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo (Egypt); Saeed, Aly, E-mail: aly_8h@yahoo.com [Nuclear Power station Department, Faculty of Engineering, Egyptian-Russian University, Cairo (Egypt)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Improvement stainless steel alloys to be used in fusion reactors. • Structural, mechanical, attenuation properties of investigated alloys were studied. • Good agreement between experimental and calculated results has been achieved. • The developed alloys could be considered as candidate materials for fusion reactors. - Abstract: Low nickel-high manganese austenitic stainless steel alloys, SSMn9Ni and SSMn10Ni, were developed to use as a shielding material in fusion reactor system. A standard austenitic stainless steel SS316L was prepared and studied as a reference sample. The microstructure properties of the present stainless steel alloys were investigated using Schaeffler diagram, optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction pattern. Mainly, an austenite phase was observed for the prepared stainless steel alloys. Additionally, a small ferrite phase was observed in SS316L and SSMn10Ni samples. The mechanical properties of the prepared alloys were studied using Vickers hardness and tensile tests at room temperature. The studied manganese stainless steel alloys showed higher hardness, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength than SS316L. On the other hand, the manganese stainless steel elongation had relatively lower values than the standard SS316L. The removal cross section for both slow and total slow (primary and those slowed down in sample) neutrons were carried out using {sup 241}Am-Be neutron source. Gamma ray attenuation parameters were carried out for different gamma ray energy lines which emitted from {sup 60}Co and {sup 232}Th radioactive sources. The developed manganese stainless steel alloys had a higher total slow removal cross section than SS316L. While the slow neutron and gamma rays were nearly the same for all studied stainless steel alloys. From the obtained results, the developed manganese stainless steel alloys could be considered as candidate materials for fusion reactor system with low activation based on the short life

Microstructure and local texture evolution by plasma nitriding in a 316L austenitic stainless steel and consequences on its fatigue durability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stinville, Jean-Charles

2010-01-01

The present study concerns the surface and mechanical properties induced by specific low temperature (∼400 C) plasma nitriding of an AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel largely used for structural component in nuclear and chemical industries. It focuses especially on its influence on the fatigue durability. The great advantages of this plasma nitriding process are to produce thick nitrided layers with a high concentration of nitrogen atoms in solid solution into the material and to preserve the stainless character of the substrate. As a consequence a new phase named expanded austenite or γ N phase is formed and the lattice expansion associated with the high supersaturation of interstitial nitrogen atoms results in residual compressive stresses at the surface that exceed 2 GPa. The surface is then strongly modified as a result of complex effects including some crystallographic plane rotation, plasticity and damage in some grains depending on their orientation. The considerable increase of hardness and wear resistance produced by plasma nitriding of austenitic stainless steels is now well documented but there are practically no data on the influence on fatigue properties. Series of fatigue tests in air at room temperature carried out in the low cycle fatigue range show a significant improvement of the fatigue life. The results are discussed especially taking into account the compressive residual stresses induced by the nitrided layer. (authors)

Characterization of the austenitic stability of metastable austenitic stainless steel with regard to its formability

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Matthias; Liewald, Mathias

2018-05-01

During the last decade, the stainless steel market showed a growing volume of 3-5% p.a.. The austenitic grades are losing market shares to ferritic or 200-series grades due to the high nickel price, but still playing the most important role within the stainless steel market. Austenitic stainless steel is characterized by the strain-induced martensite formation, causing the TRIP-effect (Transformation Induced Plasticity) which is responsible for good formability and high strength. The TRIP-effect itself is highly dependent on the forming temperature, the strain as well as the chemical composition which has a direct influence on the stability of the austenite. Today the austenitic stability is usually characterized by the so called Md30-temperature, which was introduced by Angel and enhanced by several researches, particularly Nohara. It is an empirical formula based on the chemical composition and the grain size of a given material, calculating the temperature which is necessary to gain a 50 % martensite formation after 30 % of elongation in a tensile test. A higher Md30-temperature indicates a lower stability and therefore a higher tendency towards martensite formation. The main disadvantage of Md30 -temperature is the fact that it is not based on forming parameters and only describes a single point instead of the whole forming process. In this paper, an experimental set up for measuring martensite and temperature evolution in a non-isothermal tensile test is presented, which is based on works of Hänsel and Schmid. With this set up, the martensite formation rate for different steels of the steel grade EN 1.4301 and EN 1.4310 is measured. Based on these results a new austenitic stability criterion is defined. This criterion and the determined Md30-temperatures are related to the stretch formability of the materials. The results show that the new IFU criterion is with regard to the formability a much more useful characteristic number for metastable austenitic steels

Development of Creep-Resistant and Oxidation-Resistant Austenitic Stainless Steels for High Temperature Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Maziasz, Philip J.

2018-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels are cost-effective materials for high-temperature applications if they have the oxidation and creep resistance to withstand prolonged exposure at such conditions. Since 1990, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed advanced austenitic stainless steels with creep resistance comparable to Ni-based superalloy 617 at 800-900°C based on specially designed "engineered microstructures" utilizing a microstructure/composition database derived from about 20 years of radiation effect data on steels. The wrought high temperature-ultrafine precipitate strengthened (HT-UPS) steels with outstanding creep resistance at 700-800°C were developed for supercritical boiler and superheater tubing for fossil power plants in the early 1990s, the cast CF8C-Plus steels were developed in 1999-2001 for land-based gas turbine casing and diesel engine exhaust manifold and turbocharger applications at 700-900°C, and, in 2015-2017, new Al-modified cast stainless steels with oxidation and creep resistance capabilities up to 950-1000°C were developed for automotive exhaust manifold and turbocharger applications. This article reviews and summarizes their development and their properties and applications.

Nondestructive characterization of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, T.; Kumar, Anish

2010-01-01

The paper presents an overview of the non-destructive methodologies developed at the authors' laboratory for characterization of various microstructural features, residual stresses and corrosion in austenitic stainless steels. Various non-destructive evaluation (NDE) parameters such as ultrasonic velocity, ultrasonic attenuation, spectral analysis of the ultrasonic signals, magnetic hysteresis parameters and eddy current amplitude have been used for characterization of grain size, precipitation behaviour, texture, recrystallization, thermomechanical processing, degree of sensitization, formation of martensite from metastable austenite, assessment of residual stresses, degree of sensitization and propensity for intergranular corrosion in different austenitic steels. (author)

The effect of nitrogen on martensite formation in a Cr-Mn-Ni stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biggs, T.; Knutsen, R.D.

1995-01-01

The influence of nitrogen (0 to 0.27 wt%) on martensite formation in an experimental low-nickel stainless-steel alloy (Fe-17Cr-7Mn-4Ni) has been investigated. The alloys containing 0.1 wt% or more nitrogen are fully austenitic at room temperature; those containing less nitrogen consist of a mixture of austenite, martensite and δ-ferrite. The alloys containing less than 0.2 wt% nitrogen are metastable and undergo a transformation from austenite to martensite on deformation. Transmission electron microscopy investigations suggest that, within the nitrogen range considered in this investigation, the addition of nitrogen causes an increase in stacking fault energy which in turn inhibits the nucleation of martensite. As the low-nitrogen alloys (less than 0.2 wt% nitrogen) undergo deformation, ε-martensite (with the [ anti 110] γ and [ anti 12 anti 10] ε zone axes parallel) is observed at the intersection of stacking faults. With increasing strain, the presence of α'-martensite is observed in conjunction with the ε-martensite, and only α'-martensite is observed at very high strains. Both the Nishiyama-Wasserman and Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relationships are observed between austenite and α'-martensite. The transformation to martensite during deformation causes a significant variation in room-temperature mechanical properties, despite the overall narrow range in composition considered. (orig.)

Precipitation sequences in austenitic Fe-22Cr-21Ni-6Mo-(N) stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.-J.; Lee, T.-H.

1999-01-01

Precipitation sequence of nitrogen containing Fe-22Cr-21Ni-6Mo-N austenitic stainless steel has been investigated after aging at high temperatures, and compared with nitrogen free steel. The σ phases and M 23 C 6 carbides were observed along the grain boundaries as well as in the matrix in both of the solution treated specimens. The M 6 C carbides and chi phase appeared successively in between 3 hours and 24 hours depending on the nitrogen content. Main difference in aging behavior was the precipitation of fine nitrides. Aging for 24 hours and 168 hours of nitrogen containing steel resulted in the formation of fine Cr 2 N and faceted AlN nitrides. The crystallography, structure and morphology were analyzed with analytical electron microscopy. (orig.)

Deformation-Induced Dissolution and Precipitation of Nitrides in Austenite and Ferrite of a High-Nitrogen Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Shabashov, V. A.; Makarov, A. V.; Kozlov, K. A.; Sagaradze, V. V.; Zamatovskii, A. E.; Volkova, E. G.; Luchko, S. N.

2018-02-01

Methods of Mössbauer spectroscopy and electron microscopy have been used to study the effect of the severe plastic deformation by high pressure torsion in Bridgman anvils on the dissolution and precipitation of chromium nitrides in the austenitic and ferritic structure of an Fe71.2Cr22.7Mn1.3N4.8 high-nitrogen steel. It has been found that an alternative process of dynamic aging with the formation of secondary nitrides affects the kinetics of the dissolution of chromium nitrides. The dynamic aging of ferrite is activated with an increase in the deformation temperature from 80 to 573 K.

Effect of nitrogen in austenitic stainless steel on deformation behavior and stress corrosion cracking susceptibility in BWR simulated environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roychowdhury, S.; Kain, V.; Dey, G.K.

2012-01-01

Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of austenitic stainless steel (SS) components in boiling water reactor (BWR has been a serious issue and is generic in nature. Initial cracking incidences were attributed to weld induced sensitisation and low temperature sensitisation which was mitigated by the use of low carbon grade of SS and molybdenum and nitrogen containing nuclear grade SS. However, IGSCC has occurred in these SS in the non-sensitised condition which was attributed to residual weld induced strain. Strain hardening in SS has been identified as a major cause for enhanced IGSCC susceptibility in BWR environment. Nitrogen in SS has a significant effect on the strain hardening characteristics and has potential to affect the IGSCC susceptibility in BWR environment. Type 304LN stainless steel is a candidate material for use in future reactors with long design life like the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), in which the operating conditions are similar to BWR. This study reports the effect of nitrogen in type 304LN stainless steel on the strain hardening behaviour and deformation characteristics and its effect on the IGSCC susceptibility in BWR/AHWR environment. Two heats of type 304LN stainless steel were used containing different levels of nitrogen, 0.08 and 0.16 wt % (SS alloys A and B, respectively). Both the SS was strain hardened by cross rolling at 200℃ to simulate the strain hardened regions having higher IGSCC susceptibility in BWRs. Tensile testing was done at both room temperature and 288℃(temperature simulating operating BWR conditions) and the effect of nitrogen on the tensile properties were established. Tensile testing was done at strain rates similar to the crack tip strain rates associated with a growing IGSCC in SS. Detailed transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies were done to establish the effect of nitrogen on the deformation modes. Results indicated twinning was the major mode of deformation during cross rolling while

High temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prajitno, Djoko Hadi; Syarif, Dani Gustaman

2014-01-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate high temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel SS 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO 2 . The oxidation was performed at high temperatures ranging from 600 to 800°C. The oxidation time was 60 minutes. After oxidation the surface of the samples was analyzed by different methods including, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide scale formed during oxidation of stainless steel AISI 304 alloys is dominated by iron oxide, Fe 2 O 3 . Minor element such as Cr 2 O 3 is also appeared in the diffraction pattern. Characterization by optical microscope showed that cross section microstructure of stainless steel changed after oxidized with the oxide scale on the surface stainless steels. SEM and x-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide of ZrO 2 appeared on the surface of stainless steel. Kinetic rate of oxidation of austenite stainless steel AISI 304 showed that increasing oxidation temperature and time will increase oxidation rate

Effects of nitrogen on corrosion of stainless steels in a liquid sodium environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Tadashi; Mutoh, Isao

1990-01-01

The corrosion of ferritic stainless steels using sodium at 650degC in a maximum isothermal region contained in a non-isothermal sodium loop constructed of a Type 316 stainless steel has been examined. Also, previous results on corrosion of austenitic stainless steels in sodium at 700degC in the same loop have been reproduced. The selective dissolution and absorption of nickel, the selective dissolution of chromium, and the resultant increase in iron in the surface of stainless steels in the loop mainly determine the corrosion loss of the stainless steel specimens. The austenitic steels hardly decarburize, but denitride. The ferritic steels decarburize and denitride and the denitriding is more remarkable than the decarburizing. The vanadium and niobium, carbide and nitride formers, in the ferritic steels inhibit the decarburizing to some extent, but barely inhibit the denitriding. The nitrogen in the steels rapidly diffuses to the grain boundaries, and rapidly dissolves into sodium, which will lower surface energy of the steels to enhance the dissolution of other elements. The dissolved N in sodium would then be transported to the free surface of the sodium adjacent to the argon cover gas of sodium and easily be released into the cover gas. This mechanism would cause the rapid dissolution of nitrogen into sodium and the enhancement of the corrosion rate of the steels containing nitrogen. (orig.)

Thermal expansion and phase transformations of nitrogen-expanded austenite studied with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brink, Bastian; Ståhl, Kenny; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin

2014-01-01

Nitrogen-expanded austenite, _N, with high and low nitrogen contents was produced from AISI 316 grade stainless steel powder by gaseous nitriding in ammonia/hydrogen gas mixtures. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate the thermal expansion and thermal stability...... as a fitting parameter. The stacking fault density is constant for temperatures up to 680 K, whereafter it decreases to nil. Surprisingly, a transition phase with composition M4N (M = Fe, Cr, Ni, Mo) appears for temperatures above 770 K. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion depends on the nitrogen...

Production and several properties of single crystal austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Kazutaka; Yoshinari, Akira; Kaneda, Junya; Aono, Yasuhisa; Kato, Takahiko

1998-01-01

The single crystal austenitic stainless steels Type 316L and 304L were grown in order to improve the resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) using a unidirectional solidification method which can provide the large size single crystals. The mechanical properties and the chemical properties were examined. The orientation and temperature dependence of tensile properties of the single crystals were measured. The yield stress of the single crystal steels are lower than those of the conventional polycrystal steels because of the grain boundary strength cannot be expected in the single crystal steels. The tensile properties of the single crystal austenitic stainless steel Type 316L depend strongly on the orientation. The tensile strength in orientation are about 200 MPa higher than those in the and orientations. The microstructure of the single crystal consists of a mixture of the continuous γ-austenitic single crystal matrix and the δ-ferrite phase so that the effects of the γ/δ boundaries on the chemical properties were studied. The effects of the δ-ferrite phases and the γ/δ boundaries on the resistance to SCC were examined by the creviced bent beam test (CBB test). No crack is observed in all the CBB test specimens of the single crystals, even at the γ/δ boundaries. The behavior of the radiation induced segregation (RIS) at the γ/δ boundaries in the single crystal austenitic stainless steel Type 316L was evaluated by the electron irradiation test in the high voltage electron microscope (HVEM). The depletion of oversized solute chromium at the γ/δ boundary in the single crystal austenitic stainless steel Type 316L is remarkably lower than that at the grain boundary in the polycrystalline-type 316L. (author)

Anelastic mechanical loss spectrometry of hydrogen in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagodzinskyy, Y.; Andronova, E.; Ivanchenko, M.; Haenninen, H.

2009-01-01

Atomic distribution of hydrogen, its elemental diffusion jumps and its interaction with dislocations in a number of austenitic stainless steels are studied with anelastic mechanical loss (AML) spectrometry in combination with the hydrogen thermal desorption method. Austenitic stainless steels of different chemical composition, namely, AISI 310, AISI 201, and AISI 301LN, as well as LDX 2101 duplex stainless steel are studied to clarify the role of different alloying elements on the hydrogen behavior. Activation analyses of the hydrogen Snoek-like peaks are performed with their decomposition to sets of Gaussian components. Fine structure of the composite hydrogen peaks is analyzed under the assumption that each component corresponds to diffusion transfer of hydrogen between octahedral positions with certain atomic compositions of the nearest neighbouring lattice sites. An additional component originating from hydrogen-dislocation interaction is considered. Binding energies for hydrogen-dislocation interaction are also estimated for the studied austenitic stainless steels.

High temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prajitno, Djoko Hadi, E-mail: djokohp@batan.go.id; Syarif, Dani Gustaman, E-mail: djokohp@batan.go.id [Research Center for Nuclear Materials and Radiometry, Jl. Tamansari 71, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

2014-03-24

The objective of this study is to evaluate high temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel SS 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO{sub 2}. The oxidation was performed at high temperatures ranging from 600 to 800°C. The oxidation time was 60 minutes. After oxidation the surface of the samples was analyzed by different methods including, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide scale formed during oxidation of stainless steel AISI 304 alloys is dominated by iron oxide, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Minor element such as Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} is also appeared in the diffraction pattern. Characterization by optical microscope showed that cross section microstructure of stainless steel changed after oxidized with the oxide scale on the surface stainless steels. SEM and x-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide of ZrO{sub 2} appeared on the surface of stainless steel. Kinetic rate of oxidation of austenite stainless steel AISI 304 showed that increasing oxidation temperature and time will increase oxidation rate.

Overview of Strategies for High-Temperature Creep and Oxidation Resistance of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Y.; Brady, M. P.; Santella, M. L.; Bei, H.; Maziasz, P. J.; Pint, B. A.

2011-04-01

A family of creep-resistant, alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steel alloys is under development for structural use in fossil energy conversion and combustion system applications. The AFA alloys developed to date exhibit comparable creep-rupture lives to state-of-the-art advanced austenitic alloys, and superior oxidation resistance in the ~923 K to 1173 K (650 °C to 900 °C) temperature range due to the formation of a protective Al2O3 scale rather than the Cr2O3 scales that form on conventional stainless steel alloys. This article overviews the alloy design approaches used to obtain high-temperature creep strength in AFA alloys via considerations of phase equilibrium from thermodynamic calculations as well as microstructure characterization. Strengthening precipitates under evaluation include MC-type carbides or intermetallic phases such as NiAl-B2, Fe2(Mo,Nb)-Laves, Ni3Al-L12, etc. in the austenitic single-phase matrix. Creep, tensile, and oxidation properties of the AFA alloys are discussed relative to compositional and microstructural factors.

Simulation of radiation induced segregation and PWSCC susceptibility for austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujimoto Koji; Yonezawa, Toshio; Iwamura, Toshihiko [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Takasago, Hyogo (Japan). Takasago R and D Center; Ajiki, Kazuhide [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Kobe (Japan). Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works; Urata, Sigeru [General Office of Nuclear and Fossil Power Production, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Osaka (Japan)

2000-08-01

Recently, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of austenitic stainless steels for core internal components materials become a subject of discussion in light water reactors (LWRs). IASCC has not been found in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). However, the authors have investigated on the possibility of IASCC of austenitic stainless steels for core internal materials so as to be able to estimate the degradation of PWR plants up to the end of their lifetime. In this study, in order to verify the hypothetical that the IASCC in PWRs shall be caused by the primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) as a result of radiation induced segregation (RIS) at grain boundaries, the authors simulated RIS at grain boundaries of austenitic stainless steels based on previous study and estimated RIS tendency after long time operation. And the authors melted the test alloys whose bulk compositions simulated the grain boundary compositions of irradiated austenitic stainless steels and made clear chromium-nickel-silicon compositions for PWSCC susceptibility area in austenitic alloys by slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) test. (author)

Simulation of radiation induced segregation and PWSCC susceptibility for austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimoto Koji; Yonezawa, Toshio; Iwamura, Toshihiko

2000-01-01

Recently, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of austenitic stainless steels for core internal components materials become a subject of discussion in light water reactors (LWRs). IASCC has not been found in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). However, the authors have investigated on the possibility of IASCC of austenitic stainless steels for core internal materials so as to be able to estimate the degradation of PWR plants up to the end of their lifetime. In this study, in order to verify the hypothetical that the IASCC in PWRs shall be caused by the primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) as a result of radiation induced segregation (RIS) at grain boundaries, the authors simulated RIS at grain boundaries of austenitic stainless steels based on previous study and estimated RIS tendency after long time operation. And the authors melted the test alloys whose bulk compositions simulated the grain boundary compositions of irradiated austenitic stainless steels and made clear chromium-nickel-silicon compositions for PWSCC susceptibility area in austenitic alloys by slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) test. (author)

Low temperature plasma carburizing of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel and AISI F51 duplex stainless steel

OpenAIRE

Pinedo,Carlos Eduardo; Tschiptschin,André Paulo

2013-01-01

In this work an austenitic AISI 316L and a duplex AISI F51 (EN 1.4462) stainless steel were DC-Plasma carburized at 480ºC, using CH4 as carbon carrier gas. For the austenitic AISI 316L stainless steel, low temperature plasma carburizing induced a strong carbon supersaturation in the austenitic lattice and the formation of carbon expanded austenite (γC) without any precipitation of carbides. The hardness of the carburized AISI 316L steel reached a maximum of 1000 HV due to ∼13 at% c...

Low temperature plasma carburizing of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel and AISI F51 duplex stainless steel

OpenAIRE

Pinedo, Carlos Eduardo; Tschiptschin, André Paulo

2013-01-01

In this work an austenitic AISI 316L and a duplex AISI F51 (EN 1.4462) stainless steel were DC-Plasma carburized at 480ºC, using CH4 as carbon carrier gas. For the austenitic AISI 316L stainless steel, low temperature plasma carburizing induced a strong carbon supersaturation in the austenitic lattice and the formation of carbon expanded austenite (γC) without any precipitation of carbides. The hardness of the carburized AISI 316L steel reached a maximum of 1000 HV due to ∼13 at% carbon super...

Erosion-corrosion resistance properties of 316L austenitic stainless steels after low-temperature liquid nitriding

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiangfeng; Wang, Jun; Fan, Hongyuan; Pan, Dong

2018-05-01

The low-temperature liquid nitriding of stainless steels can result in the formation of a surface zone of so-called expanded austenite (S-phase) by the dissolution of large amounts of nitrogen in the solid solution and formation of a precipitate-free layer supersaturated with high hardness. Erosion-corrosion measurements were performed on low-temperature nitrided and non-nitrided 316L stainless steels. The total erosion-corrosion, erosion-only, and corrosion-only wastages were measured directly. As expected, it was shown that low-temperature nitriding dramatically reduces the degree of erosion-corrosion in stainless steels, caused by the impingement of particles in a corrosive medium. The nitrided 316L stainless steels exhibited an improvement of almost 84% in the erosion-corrosion resistance compared to their non-nitrided counterparts. The erosion-only rates and synergistic levels showed a general decline after low-temperature nitriding. Low-temperature liquid nitriding can not only reduce the weight loss due to erosion but also significantly reduce the weight loss rate of interactions, so that the total loss of material decreased evidently. Therefore, 316L stainless steels displayed excellent erosion-corrosion behaviors as a consequence of their highly favorable corrosion resistances and superior wear properties.

Microstructural Evolutions During Reversion Annealing of Cold-Rolled AISI 316 Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Naghizadeh, Meysam; Mirzadeh, Hamed

2018-06-01

Microstructural evolutions during reversion annealing of a plastically deformed AISI 316 stainless steel were investigated and three distinct stages were identified: the reversion of strain-induced martensite to austenite, the primary recrystallization of the retained austenite, and the grain growth process. It was found that the slow kinetics of recrystallization at lower annealing temperatures inhibit the formation of an equiaxed microstructure and might effectively impair the usefulness of this thermomechanical treatment for the objective of grain refinement. By comparing the behavior of AISI 316 and 304 alloys, it was found that the mentioned slow kinetics is related to the retardation effect of solute Mo in the former alloy. At high reversion annealing temperature, however, an equiaxed austenitic microstructure was achieved quickly in AISI 316 stainless steel due to the temperature dependency of retardation effect of molybdenum, which allowed the process of recrystallization to happen easily. Conclusively, this work can shed some light on the issues of this efficient grain refining approach for microstructural control of austenitic stainless steels.

Spinodal decomposition of austenite in long-term-aged duplex stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, H.M.

1989-02-01

Spinodal decomposition of austenite phase in the cast duplex stainless steels CF-8 and -8M grades has been observed after long- term thermal aging at 400 and 350/degree/C for 30,000 h (3.4 yr). At 320/degree/C, the reaction was observed only at the limited region near the austenite grain boundaries. Ni segregation and ''worm-holes'' corresponding to the spatial microchemical fluctuations have been confirmed. The decomposition was observed only for heats containing relatively high overall Ni content (9.6--12.0 wt %) but not in low-Ni (8.0--9.4 wt %) heats. In some specimens showing a relatively advanced stage of decomposition, localized regions of austenite with a Vickers hardness of 340--430 were observed. However, the effect of austenite decomposition on the overall material toughness appears secondary for aging up to 3--5 yr in comparison with the effect of the faster spinodal decomposition in ferrite phase. The observation of the thermally driven spinodal decomposition of the austenite phase in cast duplex stainless steels validates the proposition that a miscibility gap occurs in Fe-Ni and ancillary systems. 16 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Effect of aging on the tribological and mechanical properties of a high-nitrogen stainless austenitic steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korshunov, L.G.; Chernenko, N.L.; Tereshchenko, N.A.; Uvarov, A.I.

2005-01-01

The effect of aging, associated with predominant precipitation of vanadium nitrides (VN), on tribological and mechanical properties of austenitic steel 10Kh18AG18N5MF hardened from 1100 Deg C is studied. Metallographic, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopical methods are used to study structural transformations proceeding in the steel on aging as well as on friction loading under conditions of dry slipping friction in steel-abrasive and steel-steel pairs. It is shown that the aging at temperatures of 600-700 Deg C resulting in a considerable increase of strength properties of the steel demonstrates a relatively weak positive effect on steel resistance to abrasive and adhesive wear. It is stated that the use of aging by continuous mechanism permits attaining favourable mechanical and tribological properties in vanadium-alloying nitrogen-bearing austenitic steels [ru

Corrosion of austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, M C.M. [Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

1977-01-01

Types of corrosion observed in a heat exchanger pipe and on a support of still of molasses fermented wort, both in austenitic stainless steel, are focused. Not only are the causes which might have had any kind of influence on them examined, but also the measures adopted in order to avoid and lessen its occurence.

Optimized chemical composition, working and heat treatment condition for resistance to irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking of cold worked 316 and high-chromium austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yonezawa, Toshio; Iwamura, Toshihiko; Fujimoto, Koji; Ajiki, Kazuhide

2000-01-01

The authors have reported that the primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in baffle former bolts made of austenitic stainless steels for PWR after long-term operation is caused by irradiation-induced grain boundary segregation. The resistance to PWSCC of simulated austenitic stainless steels whose chemical compositions are simulated to the grain boundary chemical composition of 316 stainless steel after irradiation increased with decrease of the silicon content, increases of the chromium content, and precipitation of M 23 C 6 carbides at the grain boundaries. In order to develop resistance to irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking in austenitic stainless steels, optimized chemical compositions and heat treatment conditions for 316CW and high-chromium austenitic stainless steels for PWR baffle former bolts were investigated. For 316CW stainless steel, ultra-low-impurities and high-chromium content are beneficial. About 20% cold working before aging and after solution treatment has also been recommended to recover sensitization and make M 23 C 6 carbides coherent with the matrix at the grain boundaries. Heating at 700 to 725degC for 20 to 50 h was selected as a suitable aging procedure. Cold working of 5 to 10% after aging produced the required mechanical properties. The optimized composition of the high-chromium austenitic stainless steel contents 30% chromium, 30% nickel, and ultra-low impurity levels. This composition also reduces the difference between its thermal expansion coefficient and that of 304 stainless steel for baffle plates. Aging at 700 to 725degC for longer than 40 h and cold working of 10 to 15% after aging were selected to meet mechanical property specifications. (author)

Effect of cold working on nitriding process of AISI 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Silvio Andre de Lima

2012-01-01

The nitriding behavior of AISI 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steel was studied by different cold work degree before nitriding processes. The microstructure, thickness, microhardness and chemical micro-composition were evaluated through optical microscopy, microhardness, scanner electronic microscopy and x ray diffraction techniques. Through them, it was observed that previous plastic deformations do not have influence on layer thickness. However, a nitrided layer thicker can be noticed in the AISI 304 steel. In addition, two different layers can be identified as resulted of the nitriding, composed for austenitic matrix expanded by nitrogen atoms and another thinner immediately below expanded by Carbon atoms. (author)

On Necking, Fracture and Localization of Plastic Flow in Austenitic Stainless Steel Sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korhonen, A. S.; Manninen, T.; Kanervo, K.

2007-01-01

The forming limits of austenitic stainless steel sheets were studied in this work. It was found that the observed limit of straining in stretch forming, when both of the principal stresses are positive, is not set by localized necking, but instead by inclined shearing fracture in the through thickness direction. It appears that the forming limits of austenitic stainless steels may be predicted fairly well by using the classical localized and diffuse necking criteria developed by Hill. The strain path-dependence may be accounted for by integrating the effective strain along the strain path. The fracture criteria of Rice and Tracey and Cockcroft, Latham and Oh were also studied. The results were in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. Recent experiments with high-velocity electrohydraulic forming of austenitic stainless steels revealed localized necks in stretch formed parts, which are not commonly observed in conventionally formed sheet metal parts

The high temperature oxidation behaviour of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hales, R.

1977-04-01

High temperature annealing in a dynamic vacuum has been utilised to induce the growth of duplex oxide over the whole surface of stainless steel specimens. It is found that duplex oxide grows at a rate which does not obey a simple power law. The oxidation kinetics and oxide morphology have also been studied for a series of ternary austenitic alloys which cover a range of composition between 5 and 20% chromium. A model has been developed to describe the formation of duplex oxide and the subsequent formation of a 'healing layer' which virtually causes the oxidation process to stop. This phase tends to form at grain boundaries and a relationship has been derived for the reaction kinetics which relates the reaction rate with grain size of the substrate. (author)

The Influence of Porosity on Corrosion Attack of Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, Z.; Ismail, A.; Ahmad, S.

2017-10-01

Porous metals also known as metal foams is a metallic body having spaces orpores through which liquid or air may pass. Porous metals get an attention from researchers nowadays due to their unique combination of properties includes excellent mechanical and electrical, high energy absorption, good thermal and sound insulation and water and gas permeability. Porous metals have been applied in numerous applications such as in automotive, aerospace and also in biomedical applications. This research reveals the influence of corrosion attack in porous austenitic stainless steel 316L. The cyclic polarization potential analysis was performed on the porous austenitic stainless steel 316L in 3.5% NaCl solution. The morphology and the element presence on the samples before and after corrosion attack was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) respectively to determine the corrosion mechanism structure. The cyclic polarization potential analysis showed the result of (E corr ) for porous austenitic stainless steel type 316L in the range of -0.40v to -0.60v and breakdown potential (E b ) is -0.3v to -0.4v in NaCl solution.

Evaluation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in Dissimilar Austenitic/Super Duplex Stainless Steel Joint

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmani, Mehdi; Eghlimi, Abbas; Shamanian, Morteza

2014-10-01

To study the effect of chemical composition on microstructural features and mechanical properties of dissimilar joints between super duplex and austenitic stainless steels, welding was attempted by gas tungsten arc welding process with a super duplex (ER2594) and an austenitic (ER309LMo) stainless steel filler metal. While the austenitic weld metal had vermicular delta ferrite within austenitic matrix, super duplex stainless steel was mainly comprised of allotriomorphic grain boundary and Widmanstätten side plate austenite morphologies in the ferrite matrix. Also the heat-affected zone of austenitic base metal comprised of large austenite grains with little amounts of ferrite, whereas a coarse-grained ferritic region was observed in the heat-affected zone of super duplex base metal. Although both welded joints showed acceptable mechanical properties, the hardness and impact strength of the weld metal produced using super duplex filler metal were found to be better than that obtained by austenitic filler metal.

Synergy between molybdenum and nitrogen on the pitting corrosion and passive film resistance of austenitic stainless steels as a pH-dependent effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loable, Carole, E-mail: carole.loable@lepmi.grenoble-inp.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Dep. Eng. Quimica, Instituto Superior Técnico-Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049 001 Lisbon (Portugal); Viçosa, Isadora N., E-mail: inogueira@poli.ufrj.br [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Mesquita, Thiago J., E-mail: Thiago.mesquita@total.com [CRU Ugitech, Avenue Paul Girod, 73403 Ugine Cedex (France); Mantel, Marc, E-mail: Marc.Mantel@ugitech.com [CRU Ugitech, Avenue Paul Girod, 73403 Ugine Cedex (France); Université Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Nogueira, Ricardo P., E-mail: rnogueira@pi.ac.ae [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Department of Chemical Engineering, The Petroleum Institute, P.O. Box 2533, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Berthomé, Gregory, E-mail: gregory.berthome@simap.grenoble-inp.fr [Université Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Chauveau, Eric, E-mail: eric.chauveau@ugitech.fr [Department of Chemical Engineering, The Petroleum Institute, P.O. Box 2533, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Roche, Virginie, E-mail: virginie.roche@lepmi.grenoble-inp.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

2017-01-15

This paper brings up some insights upon the pH dependence of the synergistic effect of Mo and N on the localized corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels. The objective of this work is to study the synergetic effect of Mo and N additions on corrosion and passive film properties of austenitic grades. A comparison between Mo containing (3 wt% Mo); Mo and N containing (3 wt% Mo and 0.1% N) and free Mo or free Mo and N grades of highly controlled laboratory heats was done considering their localized corrosion resistance and oxide film formation in different aggressive conditions, from neutral to alkaline pH. The passive layer was characterized by EIS and XPS analyses. The combined effect of Mo and N on the pitting potential was confirmed to be synergistic, and not just the addition of their individual effects. Moreover, this effect was found to be pH-dependent, being very positive in acid to neutral conditions whereas it was almost inexistent in high pH. - Highlights: • Laboratory austenitic stainless steels with Mo and/or N were tested. • Mo and N acted synergistically to improve pitting resistance. • Synergistic effect is pH-dependent. • N clearly enhanced the repassivation of austenitic SS in presence of Mo.

Synergy between molybdenum and nitrogen on the pitting corrosion and passive film resistance of austenitic stainless steels as a pH-dependent effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loable, Carole; Viçosa, Isadora N.; Mesquita, Thiago J.; Mantel, Marc; Nogueira, Ricardo P.; Berthomé, Gregory; Chauveau, Eric; Roche, Virginie

2017-01-01

This paper brings up some insights upon the pH dependence of the synergistic effect of Mo and N on the localized corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels. The objective of this work is to study the synergetic effect of Mo and N additions on corrosion and passive film properties of austenitic grades. A comparison between Mo containing (3 wt% Mo); Mo and N containing (3 wt% Mo and 0.1% N) and free Mo or free Mo and N grades of highly controlled laboratory heats was done considering their localized corrosion resistance and oxide film formation in different aggressive conditions, from neutral to alkaline pH. The passive layer was characterized by EIS and XPS analyses. The combined effect of Mo and N on the pitting potential was confirmed to be synergistic, and not just the addition of their individual effects. Moreover, this effect was found to be pH-dependent, being very positive in acid to neutral conditions whereas it was almost inexistent in high pH. - Highlights: • Laboratory austenitic stainless steels with Mo and/or N were tested. • Mo and N acted synergistically to improve pitting resistance. • Synergistic effect is pH-dependent. • N clearly enhanced the repassivation of austenitic SS in presence of Mo.

Dependence of corrosion properties of AISI 304L stainless steel on the austenite grain size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sabooni, Soheil; Rashtchi, Hamed; Eslami, Abdoulmajid; Karimzadeh, Fathallah; Enayati, Mohammad Hossein; Raeissi, Keyvan; Imani, Reihane Faghih [Isfahan Univ. of Technology, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Materials Engineering; Ngan, Alfonso Hing Wan [The Univ. of Hong Kong (China). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2017-07-15

The corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels is known to be hampered by the loss of chromium available for passive surface layer formation as a result of chromium carbide precipitation at austenite grain boundaries during annealing treatments. Although high-temperature annealing can promote carbide dissolution leading to better corrosion resistance, grain coarsening also results, which would lead to poorer mechanical properties. Processing methods to achieve both good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties are thus highly desirable for austenitic stainless steels. In the present study, we show that the corrosion resistance of AISI 304L stainless steel can be improved by grain refinement into the ultrafine-grained regime. Specifically, samples with different austenite grain sizes in the range of 0.65-12 μm were studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. All samples showed a typical passive behavior with similar corrosion potential, but the corrosion current density decreased significantly with decreasing grain size. The results show that the sample with the finest grain size had the best corrosion resistance due to a higher resistance of the passive layer to pitting attacks. This study indicates that grain refinement which improves mechanical properties can also significantly improve the corrosion resistance of AISI 304L stainless steel.

Heat treatment giving a stable high temperature micro-structure in cast austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Anton, Donald L.; Lemkey, Franklin D.

1988-01-01

A novel micro-structure developed in a cast austenitic stainless steel alloy and a heat treatment thereof are disclosed. The alloy is based on a multicomponent Fe-Cr-Mn-Mo-Si-Nb-C system consisting of an austenitic iron solid solution (.gamma.) matrix reinforced by finely dispersed carbide phases and a heat treatment to produce the micro-structure. The heat treatment includes a prebraze heat treatment followed by a three stage braze cycle heat treatment.

Analysis of Intergranular Precipitation in Isothermally Aged Nitrogen-Containing Austenitic Stainless Steels by an Electrochemical Method and Its Relation to Cryogenic Toughness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maribel L. Saucedo-Muñoz

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The precipitation process in two N-containing austenitic stainless steels, aged at temperatures between 873 and 1173 K for times from 10 to 1000 min, was analyzed by an electrochemical method based on the anodic polarization test with an electrolyte of 1 N KOH solution. The anodic polarization curves showed the following intergranular precipitation sequence: austenite → austenite + Cr23C6→ austenite + Cr23C6 + Cr2N. Besides, the fastest precipitation kinetics was detected in the aged steel with the highest content of nitrogen and carbon due to its higher driving force for precipitation. The higher the aging temperature, the higher volume fraction of precipitates. The precipitation fraction can be associated with the current density of the dissolution peaks of each phase. The Charpy-V-Notch impact energy of the aged specimens decreased with the increase in the volume fraction of precipitates.

Boride Formation Induced by pcBN Tool Wear in Friction-Stir-Welded Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Seung Hwan C.; Sato, Yutaka S.; Kokawa, Hiroyuki; Okamoto, Kazutaka; Hirano, Satoshi; Inagaki, Masahisa

2009-03-01

The wear of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (pcBN) tool and its effect on second phase formation were investigated in stainless steel friction-stir (FS) welds. The nitrogen content and the flow stress were analyzed in these welds to examine pcBN tool wear. The nitrogen content in stir zone (SZ) was found to be higher in the austenitic stainless steel FS welds than in the ferritic and duplex stainless steel welds. The flow stress of austenitic stainless steels was almost 1.5 times larger than that of ferritic and duplex stainless steels. These results suggest that the higher flow stress causes the severe tool wear in austenitic stainless steels, which results in greater nitrogen pickup in austenitic stainless steel FS welds. From the microstructural observation, a possibility was suggested that Cr-rich borides with a crystallographic structure of Cr2B and Cr5B3 formed through the reaction between the increased boron and nitrogen and the matrix during FS welding (FSW).

Ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless steel welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishino, Shunichi; Hida, Yoshio; Yamamoto, Michio; Ando, Tomozumi; Shirai, Tasuku.

1982-05-01

Ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless steel welds has been considered difficult because of the high noise level and remarkable attenuation of ultrasonic waves. To improve flaw detectability in this kind of steel, various inspection techniques have been studied. A series of tests indicated: (1) The longitudinal angle beam transducers newly developed during this study can detect 4.8 mm dia. side drilled holes in dissimilar metal welds (refraction angle: 55 0 from SUS side, 45 0 from CS side) and in cast stainless steel welds (refraction angle: 45 0 , inspection frequency: 1 MHz). (2) Cracks more than 5% t in depth in the heat affected zones of fine-grain stainless steel pipe welds can be detected by the 45 0 shear wave angle beam method (inspection frequency: 2 MHz). (3) The pattern recognition method using frequency analysis technology was presumed useful for discriminating crack signals from spurious echoes. (author)

Reduced-activation austenitic stainless steels: The Fe--Mn--Cr--C system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klueh, R.L.; Maziasz, P.J.

1988-01-01

Nickel-free manganese-stabilized steels are being developed for fusion-reactor applications. As the first part of this effort, the austenite-stable region in the Fe--Mn--Cr--C system was determined. Results indicated that the Schaeffler diagram developed for Fe--Ni--Cr--C alloys cannot be used to predict the constituents expected for high-manganese steels. This is true because manganese is not as strong an austenite stabilizer relative to δ-ferrite formation as predicted by the diagram, but it is a stronger austenite stabilizer relative to martensite than predicted. Therefore, the austenite-stable region for Ne--Mn--Cr--C alloys occurs at lower chromium and hugher combinations of manganese and carbon than predicted by the Schaeffler diagram. Development of a manganese-stabilized stainless steel should be possible in the composition range of 20 to 25% Mn, 10 to 15% Cr, and 0.01 to 0.25%C. Tensile behavior of an Fe--20%Mn--12%Cr--0.25%C alloy was determined. The strength and ductility of this possible base composition was comparable to type 316 stainless steel in both the solution-annealed and cold-worked condition

Constitutive modeling of metastable austenitic stainless steel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perdahcioglu, Emin Semih; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.; Huetink, Han; Khan, A.

2010-01-01

A physically based, macroscale constitutive model has been developed that can describe the complex mechanical behavior of metastable austenitic stainless steels. In the developed model a generalized model for the mechanically induced martensitic transformation is introduced. Mechanical tests have

Hydrogen-Induced Delayed Cracking in TRIP-Aided Lean-Alloyed Ferritic-Austenitic Stainless Steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suvi Papula

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Susceptibility of three lean-alloyed ferritic-austenitic stainless steels to hydrogen-induced delayed cracking was examined, concentrating on internal hydrogen contained in the materials after production operations. The aim was to study the role of strain-induced austenite to martensite transformation in the delayed cracking susceptibility. According to the conducted deep drawing tests and constant load tensile testing, the studied materials seem not to be particularly susceptible to delayed cracking. Delayed cracks were only occasionally initiated in two of the materials at high local stress levels. However, if a delayed crack initiated in a highly stressed location, strain-induced martensite transformation decreased the crack arrest tendency of the austenite phase in a duplex microstructure. According to electron microscopy examination and electron backscattering diffraction analysis, the fracture mode was predominantly cleavage, and cracks propagated along the body-centered cubic (BCC phases ferrite and α’-martensite. The BCC crystal structure enables fast diffusion of hydrogen to the crack tip area. No delayed cracking was observed in the stainless steel that had high austenite stability. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence of α’-martensite increases the hydrogen-induced cracking susceptibility.

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of nitrogen-rich surface layers on AISI 304 stainless steel by rapid nitriding in a hollow cathode discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yang; He, Yongyong; Zhang, Shangzhou; Wang, Wei; Zhu, Yijie

2018-01-01

Nitriding treatments have been successfully applied to austenitic stainless steels to improve their hardness and tribological properties. However, at temperatures above 450 °C, conventional plasma nitriding processes decrease the corrosion resistance due to the formation of CrN phases within the modified layer. In this work, AISI 304 austenitic stainless steels were efficiently treated by rapid plasma nitriding at a high temperature of 530 °C in a hollow cathode discharge. The enhanced ionization obtained in the hollow cathode configuration provided a high current density and, consequently, a high temperature could be attained in a short time. The nitrided layers were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the dual-layer structure of the nitrided layer consists of a high-N face-centered cubic structure with a free CrN precipitate outer (top) layer and a nitrogen-expanded austenite S-phase bottom layer. The rapid nitriding-assisted hollow cathode discharge technique permits the use of high temperatures, as high as 530 °C, without promoting degradation in the corrosion resistance of stainless steel.

Reversed austenite in 0Cr13Ni4Mo martensitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Y.Y., E-mail: songyuanyuan@imr.ac.cn [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016 (China); Li, X.Y.; Rong, L.J.; Li, Y.Y. [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016 (China); Nagai, T. [National Institute for Materials Science, Sengen 1-2-1, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan)

2014-01-15

The austenite reversion process and the distribution of carbon and other alloying elements during tempering in 0Cr13Ni4Mo martensitic stainless steel have been investigated by in-situ high temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The microstructure of the reversed austenite was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results revealed that the amount of the reversed austenite formed at high temperature increased with the holding time. Direct experimental evidence supported carbon partitioning to carbides and Ni to the reversed austenite. The reversed austenite almost always nucleated in contact with lath boundary M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides during tempering and the diffusion of Ni promoted its growth. The Ni enrichment and the ultrafine size of the reversed austenite were considered to be the main factors that accounted for the stability of the reversed austenite. - Highlights: • The amount of the reversed austenite formed at high temperature increases with the holding time. • STEM results directly show that carbon is mainly partitioned into the carbides and Ni into the reversed austenite. • The Ni enrichment and the ultrafine size are the main factors leading to the stabilization of the reversed austenite.

Strain direction dependency of martensitic transformation in austenitic stainless steels: The effect of gamma-texture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hilkhuijsen, P.; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.; Bor, Teunis Cornelis; Perdahcioglu, Emin Semih; van den Boogaard, Antonius H.; Akkerman, Remko

2013-01-01

Uniaxial tensile tests on both a non-textured and a highly textured, fully austenitic stainless steel were performed in both the rolling and the transverse directions. Both materials show mechanically induced phase transformation from the austenitic FCC to the martensitic BCC phase. Differences in

Welding metallurgy of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, A.N.

1983-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels welds are commonly found in nuclear reactor systems. The macrostructure and the transformation of delta -phase into γ - phase which occur during rapid solidification of such welds are discussed. Finally, several types of defects which are derived from the welding operation, particularly defects of crack type, are also discussed in brief. (author)

Concurrent microstructural evolution of ferrite and austenite in a duplex stainless steel processed by high-pressure torsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Y.; Wang, Y.B.; An, X.H.; Liao, X.Z.; Kawasaki, M.; Ringer, S.P.; Langdon, T.G.; Zhu, Y.T.

2014-01-01

A duplex stainless steel with approximately equal volume fractions of ferrite and austenite was processed by high-pressure torsion. Nano-indentation, electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the hardness and microstructure evolutions of the steel. Despite the different strain-hardening rates of individual ferrite and austenite, the microstructures of the two phases evolved concurrently in such a way that the neighbouring two phases always maintained similar hardness. While the plastic deformation and grain refinement of ferrite occurred mainly via dislocation activities, the plastic deformation and grain refinement process of austenite were more complicated and included deformation twinning and de-twinning in coarse grains, grain refinement by twinning and dislocation–twin interactions, de-twinning in ultrafine grains and twin boundary subdivision

Austenitic stainless steels for cryogenic service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalder, E.N.C.; Juhas, M.C.

1985-01-01

Presently available information on austenitic Fe-Cr-Ni stainless steel plate, welds, and castings for service below 77 K are reviewed with the intent (1) of developing systematic relationships between mechanical properties, composition, microstructure, and processing, and (2) of assessing the adequacy of these data bases in the design, fabrication, and operation of engineering systems at 4 K

Austenitic stainless steels for cryogenic service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalder, E.N.C.; Juhas, M.C.

1985-09-19

Presently available information on austenitic Fe-Cr-Ni stainless steel plate, welds, and castings for service below 77 K are reviewed with the intent (1) of developing systematic relationships between mechanical properties, composition, microstructure, and processing, and (2) of assessing the adequacy of these data bases in the design, fabrication, and operation of engineering systems at 4 K.

Microstructure characterization in the weld joint of a high nickel austenitic alloy and Cr18-Ni8 stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Na; Li, Yajiang; Wang, Juan [Shandong Univ., Jinan (CN). Key Lab. for Liquid - Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education)

2012-06-15

High nickel austenitic alloy, 6 mm thick, and Cr18-Ni8 stainless steel with a thickness of 0.6 mm were joined by pulsed current tungsten inert gas arc welding without filler metal in this work. Metallographic examination, microhardness measurement and electron microprobe analysis were used to reveal microstructural characteristics in the joint. The results indicated that the weld metal consisted of {gamma}-austenite, {delta}-ferrite and carbides without the appearance of martensite. There were dendrite crystals at the edge of the weld metal near the high nickel austenitic alloy and isometric crystals in the center of the weld metal. The microhardness of the weld metal was the highest due to the existence of carbides and its finer structure. Graphite flakes were still embedded in the austenite matrix of the heat-affected zone without the formation of martensite. (orig.)

Assessment of precipitates of isothermal aged austenitic stainless steel using measurement techniques of ultrasonic attenuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hun Hee; Kim, Hak Joon; Song, Sung Jin; Lim, Byeong Soo; Kim, Kyung Cho

2014-01-01

AISI 316L stainless steel is widely used as a structural material of high temperature thermoelectric power plants, since austenitic stainless steel has excellent mechanical properties. However, creep damage is generated in these components, which are operated under a high temperature and high pressure environment. Several researches have been done on how microstructural changes of precipitates affect to the macroscopic mechanical properties. And they investigate the relation between ultrasonic parameters and metallurgical results. But, these studies are limited by experiment results only. In this paper, attenuations of ultrasonic with isothermal damaged AISI 316L stainless steel were measured. Also, simulation of ultrasonic attenuation with variation of area fraction and size of precipitates were performed. And, from the measured attenuations, metallographic data and simulation results, we investigate the relations between the ultrasonic attenuations and the material properties which is area fraction of precipitates for the isothermal damaged austenitic stainless steel specimens. And, we studied parametric study for investigation of the relation between ultrasonic parameters and metallurgical results of the isothermal damaged AISI 316L stainless steel specimens using numerical methods.

TEM studies of plasma nitrided austenitic stainless steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Stróz, D; Psoda, M

2010-03-01

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis were used to study the structure of a layer formed during nitriding the AISI 316L stainless steel at temperature 440 degrees C. It was found that the applied treatment led to the formation of 6-microm-thick layer of the S-phase. There is no evidence of CrN precipitation. The X-ray diffraction experiments proved that the occurred austenite lattice expansion - due to nitrogen atoms - depended on the crystallographic direction. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the layer consisted of a single cubic phase that contained a lot of defects such as dislocations, stacking faults, slip bands and twins. The high-resolution electron microscopy observations were applied to study the defect formation due to the nitriding process. It was shown that the presence of great number of stacking faults leads to formation of nanotwins. Weak, forbidden {100} reflections were still another characteristic feature of the S-phase. These were not detected in the X-ray spectra of the phase. Basing on the high-resolution electron microscopy studies it can be suggested that the short-range ordering of the nitrogen atoms in the octahedral sites inside the f.c.c. matrix lattice takes place and gives rise to appearance of these spots. It is suggested that the cubic lattice undergoes not only expansion but also slight rombohedral distortion that explains differences in the lattice expansion for different crystallographic directions.

Reversed austenite for enhancing ductility of martensitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Dieck, S.; Rosemann, P.; Kromm, A.; Halle, T.

2017-03-01

The novel heat treatment concept, “quenching and partitioning” (Q&P) has been developed for high strength steels with enhanced formability. This heat treatment involves quenching of austenite to a temperature between martensite start and finish, to receive a several amount of retained austenite. During the subsequent annealing treatment, the so called partitioning, the retained austenite is stabilized due to carbon diffusion, which results in enhanced formability and strength regarding strain induced austenite to martensite transformation. In this study a Q&P heat treatment was applied to a Fe-0.45C-0.65Mn-0.34Si-13.95Cr stainless martensite. Thereby the initial quench end temperature and the partitioning time were varied to characterize their influence on microstructural evolution. The microstructural changes were analysed by dilatometer measurements, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, including electron back-scatter diffraction. Compression testing was made to examine the mechanical behaviour. It was found that an increasing partitioning time up to 30 min leads to an enhanced formability without loss in strength due to a higher amount of stabilized retained and reversed austenite as well as precipitation hardening.

Study of irradiation effects in austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etienne, A. [GPM UMR CNRS 6634, Universite et INSA de Rouen (France); Material Department, University of California, Santa Barbara (United States); Pareige, P.; Radiguet, B. [GPM UMR CNRS 6634, Universite et INSA de Rouen (France); Cunningham, N.J.; Odette, G.O. [Material Department, University of California, Santa Barbara (United States); Pokor, C. [EDF RD, departement MMC, site des Renardieres, Moret-sur-Loing (France)

2011-07-01

Chemical analyses using Atom Probe Tomography were performed on a bolt made of cold worked 316 austenitic stainless steel, extracted from the internal structures of a pressurized water reactor after seventeen years of reactor service. The irradiation temperature of these samples was 633 K and the irradiation dose was estimated to 12 dpa. These analyses have shown that neutron irradiation has a strong effect on the intragranular distribution of solute atoms. A very high number density (6.10{sup 23} m{sup -3}) of Ni-Si enriched and Cr-Fe depleted clusters was detected after irradiation. In order to bring complementary experimental results and to determine the mechanism of formation of these Ni-Si nano-clusters, Fe{sup 5+} ion irradiations have been performed on a 316 austenitic stainless steel. As after neutron irradiation, the formation of solute enriched features is observed. Linear features and two kinds of clusters, rounded and torus shaped, are present. Considering that solute enriched features are probably formed by radiation induced segregation on point defect sinks, these different shapes are due to the nature of the sinks where segregation occurs. (authors)

A powder metallurgy austenitic stainless steel for application at very low temperatures

CERN Document Server

Sgobba, Stefano; Liimatainen, J; Kumpula, M

2000-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider to be built at CERN will require 1232 superconducting dipole magnets operating at 1.9 K. By virtue of their mechanical properties, weldability and improved austenite stability, nitrogen enriched austenitic stainless steels have been chosen as the material for several of the structural components of these magnets. Powder Metallurgy (PM) could represent an attractive production technique for components of complex shape for which dimension tolerances, dimensional stability, weldability are key issues during fabrication, and mechanical properties, ductility and leak tightness have to be guaranteed during operation. PM Hot Isostatic Pressed test plates and prototype components of 316LN-type grade have been produced by Santasalo Powdermet Oy. They have been fully characterized and mechanically tested down to 4.2 K at CERN. The fine grained structure, the absence of residual stresses, the full isotropy of mechanical properties associated to the low level of Prior Particle Boundaries oxides ...

A Short review on wrought austenitic stainless steels at high temperatures: processing, microstructure, properties and performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald Lesley Plaut

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Wrought austenitic stainless steels are widely used in high temperature applications. This short review discusses initially the processing of this class of steels, with emphasis on solidification and hot working behavior. Following, a brief summary is made on the precipitation behavior and the numerous phases that may appear in their microstructures. Creep and oxidation resistance are, then, briefly discussed, and finalizing their performance is compared with other high temperature metallic materials.

Laser cladding crack repair of austenitic stainless steel

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Rooyen, C

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Laser cladding crack repair of austenitic stainless steel vessels subjected to internal water pressure was evaluated. The purpose of this investigation was to develop process parameters for in-situ repair of through-wall cracks in components...

Microstructural evolution and strain hardening behavior of the cold-drawn austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jeom Yong; Jin, Won

1998-01-01

The strain induced α ' -martensite formation and the strain hardening behavior of metastable austenitic stainless steel during cold drawing have been investigated. The strain induced α ' -martensite nucleates mainly at the intersection of the mechanical twins rather than ε-martensite. It could be explained by the increase of stacking fault energy which arises from the heat generated during high speed drawing and, for AISI 304/Cu, the additional effect of Cu additions. The strain hardening behavior of austenitic stainless steel is strongly related to the microstructural evolution accompanied by strain induced α ' -martensite. The work hardening rates of cold-drawn 304 increased with increasing interstitial element(C,N) contents which affect the strength of the strain induced α ' -martensite

Case histories of microbiologically influenced corrosion of austenitic stainless steel weldments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borenstein, S.W.; Buchanan, R.A.; Dowling, N.J.E.

1990-01-01

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is initiated or accelerated by microorganisms and is currently recognized as a serious problem affecting the construction and operation of many industrial facilities, including nuclear power plants. The purpose of this paper is to review how biofouling and MIC can occur and discuss current mechanistic theories. A case history of MIC attack in power plants is examined with emphasis on the role of welding and heat treatment variables using laboratory electrochemical analyses. Although MIC can occur on a variety of alloys, pitting corrosion failures of austenitic stainless steels are often associated with weldments. MIC occurs as the result of a consortium of microorganisms colonizing on the metal surface and their variety (fungi, bacteria, algae, mold, and slimes) enables them to form support systems for cross feeding to enhance survival. The metabolic processes influence corrosion behaviour of materials by destroying protective coatings, producing a localized acid environment, creating corrosive deposits, or altering anodic and cathodic reactions. On stainless steels, biofilms destroy the passive oxide film on the surface of the steels and subject them to localized forms of corrosion. Many of the MIC failures in industry result in pitting to austenitic stainless steel weldments. Pitting primarily occurs in the weld metal, heat affected zones, and adjacent to the weld in the base metal. Depending on the conditions of the concentration cell created by the biofilm, either phase of the two-phase duplex stainless steel, austenite or delta ferrite, may be selectively attacked. Theories have been proposed about the mechanism of MIC on austenitic stainless steel and and a general understanding is that some function associated with the biofilm formation directly affects the electrochemical process

Kinetics analysis of two-stage austenitization in supermartensitic stainless steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nießen, Frank; Villa, Matteo; Hald, John

2017-01-01

The martensite-to-austenite transformation in X4CrNiMo16-5-1 supermartensitic stainless steel was followed in-situ during isochronal heating at 2, 6 and 18 K min−1 applying energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction at the BESSY II facility. Austenitization occurred in two stages, separated...... that the austenitization kinetics is governed by Ni-diffusion and that slow transformation kinetics separating the two stages is caused by soft impingement in the martensite phase. Increasing the lath width in the kinetics model had a similar effect on the austenitization kinetics as increasing the heating-rate....

Influence of delta ferrite on corrosion susceptibility of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence O. Osoba

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the current study, the influence of delta (δ ferrite on the corrosion susceptibility of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel was evaluated in 1Molar concentration of sulphuric acid (H2SO4 and 1Molar concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl. The study was performed at ambient temperature using electrochemical technique—Tafel plots to evaluate the corrosive tendencies of the austenitic stainless steel sample. The as-received (stainless steel specimen and 60% cold-worked (stainless steel specimens were isothermally annealed at 1,100°C for 2 h and 1 h, respectively, and quenched in water. The results obtained show that the heat-treated specimen and the 60% cold-worked plus heat-treated specimen exhibited higher corrosion susceptibility than the as-received specimen, which invariably contained the highest fraction of δ ferrite particles. The finding shows that the presence of δ ferrite, in which chromium (Cr, the main corrosion inhibitor segregates, does not degrade and or reduces the resistance to aqueous corrosion of the austenitic stainless steel material.

A Comparative Study of Fracture Toughness at Cryogenic Temperature of Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Aviles Santillana, I.; Boyer, C.; Fernandez Pison, P.; Foussat, A.; Langeslag, S. A. E.; Perez Fontenla, A. T.; Ruiz Navas, E. M.; Sgobba, S.

2018-03-01

The ITER magnet system is based on the "cable-in-conduit" conductor (CICC) concept, which consists of stainless steel jackets filled with superconducting strands. The jackets provide high strength, limited fatigue crack growth rate and fracture toughness properties to counteract the high stress imposed by, among others, electromagnetic loads at cryogenic temperature. Austenitic nitrogen-strengthened stainless steels have been chosen as base material for the jackets of the central solenoid and the toroidal field system, for which an extensive set of cryogenic mechanical property data are readily available. However, little is published for their welded joints, and their specific performance when considering different combinations of parent and filler metals. Moreover, the impact of post-weld heat treatments that are required for Nb3Sn formation is not extensively treated. Welds are frequently responsible for cracks initiated and propagated by fatigue during service, causing structural failure. It becomes thus essential to select the most suitable combination of parent and filler material and to assess their performance in terms of strength and crack propagation at operation conditions. An extensive test campaign has been conducted at 7 K comparing tungsten inert gas (TIG) welds using two fillers adapted to cryogenic service, EN 1.4453 and JK2LB, applied to two different base metals, AISI 316L and 316LN. A large set of fracture toughness data are presented, and the detrimental effect on fracture toughness of post-weld heat treatments (unavoidable for some of the components) is demonstrated. In this study, austenitic stainless steel TIG welds with various filler metals have undergone a comprehensive fracture mechanics characterization at 7 K. These results are directly exploitable and contribute to the cryogenic fracture mechanics properties database of the ITER magnet system. Additionally, a correlation between the impact in fracture toughness and microstructure

Deformation mechanisms induced under high cycle fatigue tests in a metastable austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roa, J.J., E-mail: joan.josep.roa@upc.edu [CIEFMA-Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Campus Diagonal Sud, Edificio C’, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C/ Pascual i Vila 15, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Fargas, G. [CIEFMA-Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Jiménez-Piqué, E. [CIEFMA-Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Campus Diagonal Sud, Edificio C’, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C/ Pascual i Vila 15, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Mateo, A. [CIEFMA-Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2014-03-01

Advanced techniques were used to study the deformation mechanisms induced by fatigue tests in a metastable austenitic stainless steel AISI 301LN. Observations by Atomic Force Microscopy were carried out to study the evolution of a pre-existing martensite platelet at increasing number of cycles. The sub-superficial deformation mechanisms of the austenitic grains were studied considering the cross-section microstructure obtained by Focused Ion Beam and analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The results revealed no deformation surrounding the pre-existing martensitic platelet during fatigue tests, only the growth on height was observed. Martensite formation was associated with shear bands on austenite, mainly in the {111} plane, and with the activation of the other intersecting austenite {111}〈110〉 slip system. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy results showed that the nucleation of ε-martensite follows a two stages phase transformation (γ{sub fcc}→ε{sub hcp}→α'{sub bcc})

Low-activation Mn-Cr austenitic stainless steel with further reduced content of long-lived radioactive elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, M.; Saida, T.; Hirai, S. [Mitsubishi Heavy Ind. Ltd., Yokohama (Japan); Kusuhashi, M.; Sato, I.; Hatakeyama, T. [The Japan Steel Works Ltd., Chatsu-machi 4, Muroran 051-8505 (Japan)

1998-06-01

Low-activation austenitic stainless steel based on Mn-Cr non-magnetic steels has been developed. The alloying elements of long-life activation, such as Ni, Mo and Co, were eliminated and substituted with Mn along with an addition of N. A Mn-Cr austenitic stainless steel, 24.5Mn-13.5Cr-0.02C-0.2N, has been developed successfully. Examined material properties, including mechanical, thermal and magnetic properties, as well as weldability and characteristics of corrosion resistance, are presented. It was found that the alloy has excellent material properties virtually equivalent to those of 316SS. In this study, the applicability of the Schaeffler, DeLong and Hull constitution diagrams for the stainless steels with low Ni and high Mn contents was also examined. The boundary conditions distinguishing the single austenite phase from the others have been identified for the Mn-Cr steels. (orig.) 22 refs.

Low-activation Mn Cr austenitic stainless steel with further reduced content of long-lived radioactive elements

Science.gov (United States)

Onozuka, Masanori; Saida, Tomikane; Hirai, Shouzou; Kusuhashi, Mikio; Sato, Ikuo; Hatakeyama, Tsuyoshi

1998-06-01

Low-activation austenitic stainless steel based on Mn-Cr non-magnetic steels has been developed. The alloying elements of long-life activation, such as Ni, Mo and Co, were eliminated and substituted with Mn along with an addition of N. A Mn-Cr austenitic stainless steel, 24.5Mn-13.5Cr-0.02C-0.2N, has been developed successfully. Examined material properties, including mechanical, thermal and magnetic properties, as well as weldability and characteristics of corrosion resistance, are presented. It was found that the alloy has excellent material properties virtually equivalent to those of 316SS. In this study, the applicability of the Schaeffler, DeLong and Hull constitution diagrams for the stainless steels with low Ni and high Mn contents was also examined. The boundary conditions distinguishing the single austenite phase from the others have been identified for the Mn-Cr steels.

Studies on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of high nitrogen stainless steel shielded metal arc welds

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Raffi; Madhusudhan Reddy, G.; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

The present work is aimed at studying the microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of high nitrogen stainless steel shielded metal arc (SMA) welds made with Cromang-N electrode. Basis for selecting this electrode is to increase the solubility of nitrogen in weld metal due to high chromium and manganese content. Microstructures of the welds were characterized using optical microscopy (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) mainly to determine the morphology, phase analysis, grain size and orientation image mapping. Hardness, tensile and ductility bend tests were carried out to determine mechanical properties. Potentio-dynamic polarization testing was carried out to study the pitting corrosion resistance using a GillAC basic electrochemical system. Constant load type testing was carried out to study stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of welds. The investigation results shown that the selected Cr–Mn–N type electrode resulted in favourable microstructure and completely solidified as single phase coarse austenite. Mechanical properties of SMA welds are found to be inferior when compared to that of base metal and is due to coarse and dendritic structure.

Martensitic transformation of austenitic stainless steel orthodontic wires during intraoral exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Izquierdo, Paula P; de Biasi, Ronaldo S; Elias, Carlos N; Nojima, Lincoln I

2010-12-01

Our purpose was to study the mechanical properties and phase transformations of orthodontic wires submitted to in-vivo exposure in the mouth for different periods of time. Stainless steel wires were tied to fixed orthodontic appliances of 30 patients from the orthodontics clinic of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro School of Dentistry in Brazil. According to the duration of the clinical treatment, the patients were divided into 3 groups. After in-vivo exposure, the samples were studied by mechanical testing (torsion) and ferromagnetic resonance. Statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate the correlation between time of exposure, mechanical properties, and austenite-to-martensite transformation among the groups. The results were compared with as-received control samples. The torque values increased as time in the mouth increased. The increase in torque resistance showed high correlations with time of exposure (P = 0.005) and austenite-martensite phase transformation. The resistance of stainless steel orthodontic wires increases as the time in the mouth increases; this effect is attributed to the austenite-to-martensite transformation. Copyright © 2010 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of electromagnetic stirring on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHOU Shu-cai

2007-08-01

Full Text Available An investigation on the influence of low frequency rotary electromagnetic stirring on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting was experimentally conducted and carried out on an industrial trial basis. The results show that application of appropriate electromagnetic stirring parameters can obviously improve the macrostructure of austenitic stainless steel, in which both columnar and equiaxed grains can be greatly refined and shrinkage porosity or cavity zone along centerline can be remarkably decreased due to eliminating intracrystalline and enlarging equiaxed grains zone. The industrial trials verify that the electromagnetic stirring intensity of austenitic stainless steel should be higher than that of plain carbon steel. Electromagnetic stirring has somewhat affected the macrostructure of austenitic stainless steel even if the magnetic flux density of the electromagnetic stirring reaches 90 mT (amplitude reaches 141 mT in average at frequency f=3-4Hz, which provides a reference for the optimization of design and process parameters when applying the rotary electromagnetic stirrer.

High Nb, Ta, and Al creep- and oxidation-resistant austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Michael P [Oak Ridge, TN; Santella, Michael L [Knoxville, TN; Yamamoto, Yukinori [Oak Ridge, TN; Liu, Chain-tsuan [Oak Ridge, TN

2010-07-13

An austenitic stainless steel HTUPS alloy includes, in weight percent: 15 to 30 Ni; 10 to 15 Cr; 2 to 5 Al; 0.6 to 5 total of at least one of Nb and Ta; no more than 0.3 of combined Ti+V; up to 3 Mo; up to 3 Co; up to 1 W; up to 0.5 Cu; up to 4 Mn; up to 1 Si; 0.05 to 0.15 C; up to 0.15 B; up to 0.05 P; up to 1 total of at least one of Y, La, Ce, Hf, and Zr; less than 0.05 N; and base Fe, wherein the weight percent Fe is greater than the weight percent Ni wherein said alloy forms an external continuous scale comprising alumina, nanometer scale sized particles distributed throughout the microstructure, said particles comprising at least one composition selected from the group consisting of NbC and TaC, and a stable essentially single phase fcc austenitic matrix microstructure, said austenitic matrix being essentially delta-ferrite-free and essentially BCC-phase-free.

The effect of grain size on the mechanical response of a metastable austenitic stainless steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinclair C.W.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The combination of high environmental resistance and excellent strength, elongation and energy absorption make austenitic stainless steels potentially attractive for transportation applications. In the case of metastable grades that undergo a strain induced martensitic transformation it is possible to significantly change the mechanical properties simply by changing the austenite grain size. Predicting such behaviour using physically based models is, however, extremely challenging. Here, some recent work on the coupling between grain size and mechanical response will be presented for a metastable AISI 301 LN stainless steel. Successes and continuing challenges will be highlighted.

Sandblasting induced stress release and enhanced adhesion strength of diamond films deposited on austenite stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiao; Ye, Jiansong; Zhang, Hangcheng; Feng, Tao; Chen, Jianqing; Hu, Xiaojun

2017-08-01

We firstly used sandblasting to treat austenite stainless steel and then deposited a Cr/CrN interlayer by close field unbalanced magnetron sputtering on it. After that, diamond films were prepared on the interlayer. It is found that the sandblasting process induces phase transition from austenite to martensite in the surface region of the stainless steel, which decreases thermal stress in diamond films due to lower thermal expansion coefficient of martensite phase compared with that of austenite phase. The sandblasting also makes stainless steel's surface rough and the Cr/CrN interlayer film inherits the rough surface. This decreases the carburization extent of the interlayer, increases nucleation density and modifies the stress distribution. Due to lower residual stress and small extent of the interlayer's carburization, the diamond film on sandblast treated austenite stainless steel shows enhanced adhesion strength.

Fatigue behavior of welded austenitic stainless steel in different environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.S. Yawas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The fatigue behavior of welded austenitic stainless steel in 0.5 M hydrochloric acid and wet steam corrosive media has been investigated. The immersion time in the corrosive media was 30 days to simulate the effect on stainless steel structures/equipment in offshore and food processing applications and thereafter annealing heat treatment was carried out on the samples. The findings from the fatigue tests show that seawater specimens have a lower fatigue stress of 0.5 × 10−5 N/mm2 for the heat treated sample and 0.1 × 10−5 N/mm2 for the unheat-treated sample compared to the corresponding hydrochloric acid and steam samples. The post-welding heat treatment was found to increase the mechanical properties of the austenitic stainless steel especially tensile strength but it reduces the transformation and thermal stresses of the samples. These findings were further corroborated by the microstructural examination of the stainless steel specimen.

Influence of helium embrittlement on post-irradiation creep rupture behaviour of austenitic and martensitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wassilew, C.

1982-01-01

The author has investigated the influence of helium embrittlement on the creep rupture properties of the austenitic stainless steels 1.4970 and 1.4962 and the martensitic stainless steel 1.4914 after irradiation in the BR-2 reactor in Mol, Belgium. The results show that austenitic steels react much more strongly to the embrittlement effect of the helium than do martensitic steels. The causes of the lower embrittlement tendency of the martensitic than of both austenitic stainless steels were analysed carefully. A new embrittlement model was developed on the basis of data derived from the creep rupture experiments, and reinforced by a simple metallographic investigation of the fracture zone and its immediate environment. This model pays specific attention to the role of the twin planes as the most efficient area of increased vacancy production, and takes into account the ability of the twin boundaries to transport these vacancies with reduced energy and low loss into the high-angle grain boundaries. (author)

Dose dependence of the microstructural evolution in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinkle, S.J.; Maziasz, P.J.; Stoller, R.E.

1993-01-01

Microstructural data on the evolution of the dislocation loop, cavity, and precipitate populations in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels are reviewed in order to estimate the displacement damage levels needed to achieve the 'steady state' condition. The microstructural data can be conveniently divided into two temperature regimes. In the low temperature regime (below about 200 degrees C) the microstructure of austenitic stainless steel is dominated by 'black spot' defect clusters and faulted interstitial dislocation loops. The dose needed to approach saturation of the loop and defect cluster densities is generally on the order of 1 displacement per atom (dpa) in this regime. In the high temperature regime (∼300 to 700 degrees C), cavities, precipitates, loops and network dislocations are all produced during irradiation; doses in excess of 10 dpa are generally required to approach a 'steady state' microstructural condition. Due to complex interactions between the various microstructural components that form during irradiation, a secondary transient regime is typically observed in commercial stainless steels during irradiation at elevated temperatures. This slowly evolving secondary transient may extend to damage levels in excess of 50 dpa in typical 300-series stainless steels, and to >100 dpa in radiation-resistant developmental steels. The detailed evolution of any given microstructural component in the high-temperature regime is sensitive to slight variations in numerous experimental variables, including heat-to-heat composition changes and neutron spectrum

General and Localized corrosion of Austenitic and Borated Stainless Steels in Simulated Concentrated Ground Waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fix, D.; Estill, J.; Wong, L.; Rebak, R.

2004-01-01

Boron containing stainless steels are used in the nuclear industry for applications such as spent fuel storage, control rods and shielding. It was of interest to compare the corrosion resistance of three borated stainless steels with standard austenitic alloy materials such as type 304 and 316 stainless steels. Tests were conducted in three simulated concentrated ground waters at 90 C. Results show that the borated stainless were less resistant to corrosion than the witness austenitic materials. An acidic concentrated ground water was more aggressive than an alkaline concentrated ground water

Response of cast austenitic stainless steel to low temperature plasma carburizing.

OpenAIRE

Sun, Yong

2008-01-01

The response of a cast 316 type austenitic stainless steel to the novel low temperature plasma carburizing process has been investigated in this work. The cast steel has a dendritic structure with a mix of austenite, ferrite and carbide phases. The results show that such a complex structure responds well to the carburizing process, and the inter-dendrite regions containing ferrite and carbides can be transformed to expanded austenite to form a continuous and uniform layer supersat...

Internal hydrogen-induced subcritical crack growth in austenitic stainless steels

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, J. H.; Altstetter, C. J.

1991-11-01

The effects of small amounts of dissolved hydrogen on crack propagation were determined for two austenitic stainless steel alloys, AISI 301 and 310S. In order to have a uniform distribution of hydrogen in the alloys, they were cathodically charged at high temperature in a molten salt electrolyte. Sustained load tests were performed on fatigue precracked specimens in air at 0 ‡C, 25 ‡C, and 50 ‡C with hydrogen contents up to 41 wt ppm. The electrical potential drop method with optical calibration was used to continuously monitor the crack position. Log crack velocity vs stress intensity curves had definite thresholds for subcritical crack growth (SCG), but stage II was not always clearly delineated. In the unstable austenitic steel, AISI 301, the threshold stress intensity decreased with increasing hydrogen content or increasing temperature, but beyond about 10 wt ppm, it became insensitive to hydrogen concentration. At higher concentrations, stage II became less distinct. In the stable stainless steel, subcritical crack growth was observed only for a specimen containing 41 wt ppm hydrogen. Fractographic features were correlated with stress intensity, hydrogen content, and temperature. The fracture mode changed with temperature and hydrogen content. For unstable austenitic steel, low temperature and high hydrogen content favored intergranular fracture while microvoid coalescence dominated at a low hydrogen content. The interpretation of these phenomena is based on the tendency for stress-induced phase transformation, the different hydrogen diffusivity and solubility in ferrite and austenite, and outgassing from the crack tip. After comparing the embrittlement due to internal hydrogen with that in external hydrogen, it is concluded that the critical hydrogen distribution for the onset of subcritical crack growth is reached at a location that is very near the crack tip.

The irradiation performance of austenitic stainless steel clade PWR fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira e Silva, A.; Esteves, A.M.

1988-01-01

The steady state irradiation performance of austenitic stainless steel clad pressurized water reactor fuel rods is modeled with fuel performance codes of the FRAP series. These codes, originally developed to model the thermal-mechanical behavior of zircaloy clad fuel rods, are modified to model stainless steel clad fuel rods. The irradiation thermal-mechanical behavior of type 348 stainless steel and zircaloy fuel rods is compared. (author) [pt

Zinc Addition Effects on General Corrosion of Austenitic Stainless Steels in PWR Primary Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao Peipeng; Zhang Lefu; Liu Ruiqin; Jiang Suqing; Zhu Fawen

2010-01-01

Zinc addition effects on general corrosion of austenitic stainless steel 316 and 304 were investigated in simulated PWR primary coolant without zinc or with 50 ppb zinc addition at 315 degree C for 500 h. The results show that with the addition of zinc, the corrosion rate of austenitic stainless steel is effectively reduced, the surface oxide film is thinner, the morphology and chemical composition of surface oxide scales are evidently different from those without zinc. There are needle-like corrosion products on the surface of stainless steel 304. (authors)

Studies on analytical method and nondestructive measuring method on the sensitization of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onimura, Kichiro; Arioka, Koji; Horai, Manabu; Noguchi, Shigeru.

1982-03-01

Austenitic stainless steels are widely used as structural materials for the machine and equipment of various kinds of plants, such as thermal power, nuclear power, and chemical plants. The machines and equipment using this kind of material, however, have the possibility of suffering corrosion damage while in service, and these damages are considered to be largely due to the sensitization of the material in sometimes. So, it is necessary to develop an analytical method for grasping the sensitization of the material more in detail and a quantitative nondestructive measuring method which is applicable to various kinds of structures in order to prevent the corrosion damage. From the above viewpoint, studies have been made on the analytical method based on the theory of diffusion of chromium in austenitic stainless steels and on Electro-Potentiokinetics Reactivation Method (EPR Method) as a nondestructive measuring method, using 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels having different carbon contents in base metals. This paper introduces the results of EPR test on the sensitization of austenitic stainless steels and the correlation between analytical and experimental results. (author)

A comparison of the iraddiated tensile properties of a high-manganese austenitic steel and type 316 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klueh, R.L.; Grossbeck, M.L.

1984-01-01

The USSR steel EP-838 is a high-manganese, low-nickel steel that also has lower chromium and molybdenum than type 316 stainless steel. Tensile specimens of 20%-cold-worked EP-838 and type 316 stainless steel were irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at the coolant temperature (approx.=50 0 C). A displacement damage level of 5.2 dpa was reached for the EP-838 and up to 9.5 dpa for the type 316 stainless steel. Tensile tests at room temperature and 300 0 C on the two steels indicated that the irradiation led to increased strength and decreased ductility compared to the unirradiated steels. Although the 0.2% yield stress of the type 316 stainless steel in the unirradiated condition was greater than that for the EP-838, after irradiation there was essentially no difference between the strength or ductility of the two steels. The results indicate that the replacement of the majority of the nickel by manganese and a reduction of chromium and molybdenum in an austenitic stainless steel of composition near that for type 316 stainless steel has little effect on the irradiated and unirradiated tensile properties at low temperatures. (orig.)

Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukada, Takashi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-03-01

Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) of austenitic stainless steels in oxygenated high temperature water was studied. The IASCC failure has been considered as a degradation phenomenon potential not only in the present light water reactors but rather common in systems where the materials are exposed simultaneously to radiation and water environments. In this study, effects of the material and environmental factors on the IASCC of austenitic stainless steels were investigated in order to understand the underlying mechanism. The following three types of materials were examined: a series of model alloys irradiated at normal water-cooled research reactors (JRR-3M and JMTR), the material irradiated at a spectrally tailored mixed-spectrum research reactor (ORR), and the material sampled from a duct tube of a fuel assembly used in the experimental LMFBR (JOYO). Post-irradiation stress corrosion cracking tests in a high-temperature water, electrochemical corrosion tests, etc., were performed at hot laboratories. Based on the results obtained, analyses were made on the effects of alloying/impurity elements, irradiation/testing temperatures and material processing, (i.e., post-irradiation annealing and cold working) on the cracking behavior. On the basis of the analyses, possible remedies against IASCC in the core internals were discussed from viewpoints of complex combined effects among materials, environment and processing factors. (author). 156 refs.

Microstructure and pitting corrosion of shielded metal arc welded high nitrogen stainless steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raffi Mohammed

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The present work is aimed at studying the microstructure and pitting corrosion behaviour of shielded metal arc welded high nitrogen steel made of Cromang-N electrode. Basis for selecting this electrode is to increase the solubility of nitrogen in weld metal due to high chromium and manganese content. Microscopic studies were carried out using optical microscopy (OM and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM. Energy back scattered diffraction (EBSD method was used to determine the phase analysis, grain size and orientation image mapping. Potentio-dynamic polarization testing was carried out to study the pitting corrosion resistance in aerated 3.5% NaCl environment using a GillAC electrochemical system. The investigation results showed that the selected Cr–Mn–N type electrode resulted in a maximum reduction in delta-ferrite and improvement in pitting corrosion resistance of the weld zone was attributed to the coarse austenite grains owing to the reduction in active sites of the austenite/delta ferrite interface and the decrease in galvanic interaction between austenite and delta-ferrite.

Austenite Formation from Martensite in a 13Cr6Ni2Mo Supermartensitic Stainless Steel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bojack, A.; Zhao, L.; Morris, P.F.; Sietsma, J.

2016-01-01

The influence of austenitization treatment of a 13Cr6Ni2Mo supermartensitic stainless steel (X2CrNiMoV13-5-2) on austenite formation during reheating and on the fraction of austenite retained after tempering treatment is measured and analyzed. The results show the formation of austenite in two

Determination of delta ferrite volumetric fraction in austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida Macedo, W.A. de.

1983-01-01

Measurements of delta ferrite volumetric fraction in AISI 304 austenitic stainless steels were done by X-ray diffraction, quantitative metallography (point count) and by means of one specific commercial apparatus whose operational principle is magnetic-inductive: The Ferrite Content Meter 1053 / Institut Dr. Foerster. The results obtained were comparated with point count, the reference method. It was also investigated in these measurements the influence of the martensite induced by mechanical deformation. Determinations by X-ray diffraction, by the ratio between integrated intensities of the ferrite (211) and austenite (311) lines, are in excelent agreement with those taken by point count. One correction curve for the lectures of the commercial equipment in focus was obtained, for the range between zero and 20% of delta ferrite in 18/8 stainless steels. It is demonstrated that, depending on the employed measurement method and surface finishing of the material to be analysed, the presence of martensite produced by mechanical deformation of the austenitic matrix is one problem to be considered. (Author) [pt

Determination of delta ferrite volumetric fraction in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida Macedo, W.A. de.

1983-01-01

Measurements of delta ferrite volumetric fraction in AISI 304 austenitic stainless steels were done by X-ray difraction, quantitative metallography (point count) and by means of one specific commercial apparatus whose operational principle is magnetic-inductive: The Ferrite Content Meter 1053 / Institut Dr. Forster. The results obtained were comparated with point count, the reference method. It was also investigated in these measurements the influence of the martensite induced by mechanical deformation. Determinations by X-ray diffraction, by the ratio between integrated intensities of the ferrite (211) and austenite (311) lines, are in excelent agreement with those taken by point count. One correction curve for the lectures of the commercial equipment in focus was obtained, for the range between zero and 20% of delta ferrite in 18/8 stainless steels. It is demonstrated that, depending on the employed measurement method and surface finishing of the material to be analysed, the presence of martensite produced by mechanical deformation of the austenitic matrix is one problem to be considered. (Author) [pt

The Effects of Alloy Chemistry on Localized Corrosion of Austenitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Sapiro, David O.

This study investigated localized corrosion behavior of austenitic stainless steels under stressed and unstressed conditions, as well as corrosion of metallic thin films. While austenitic stainless steels are widely used in corrosive environments, they are vulnerable to pitting and stress corrosion cracking (SCC), particularly in chloride-containing environments. The corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels is closely tied to the alloying elements chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. Polarization curves were measured for five commercially available austenitic stainless steels of varying chromium, nickel, and molybdenum content in 3.5 wt.% and 25 wt.% NaCl solutions. The alloys were also tested in tension at slow strain rates in air and in a chloride environment under different polarization conditions to explore the relationship between the extent of pitting corrosion and SCC over a range of alloy content and environment. The influence of alloy composition on corrosion resistance was found to be consistent with the pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) under some conditions, but there were also conditions under which the model did not hold for certain commercial alloy compositions. Monotonic loading was used to generate SCC in in 300 series stainless steels, and it was possible to control the failure mode through adjusting environmental and polarization conditions. Metallic thin film systems of thickness 10-200 nm are being investigated for use as corrosion sensors and protective coatings, however the corrosion properties of ferrous thin films have not been widely studied. The effects of film thickness and substrate conductivity were examined using potentiodynamic polarization and scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) on iron thin films. Thicker films undergo more corrosion than thinner films in the same environment, though the corrosion mechanism is the same. Conductive substrates encourage general corrosion, similar to that of bulk iron

Influence of low-temperature nitriding on the strain-induced martensite and laser-quenched austenite in a magnetic encoder made from 304L stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Leskovšek, Vojteh; Godec, Matjaž; Kogej, Peter

2016-01-01

We have investigated the possibility of producing a magnetic encoder by an innovative process. Instead of turning grooves in the encoder bar for precise positioning, we incorporated the information in 304L stainless steel by transforming the austenite to martensite after bar extrusion in liquid nitrogen and marking it with a laser, which caused a local transformation of martensite back into austenite. 304L has an excellent corrosion resistance, but a low hardness and poor wear resistance, which limits its range of applications. However, nitriding is a very promising way to enhance the mechanical and magnetic properties. After low-temperature nitriding at 400 °C it is clear that both ε- and α′-martensite are present in the deformed microstructure, indicating the simultaneous stress-induced and strain-induced transformations of the austenite. The effects of a laser surface treatment and the consequent appearance of a non-magnetic phase due to the α′ → γ transformation were investigated. The EDS maps show a high concentration of nitrogen in the alternating hard surface layers of γN and α′N (expanded austenite and martensite), but no significantly higher concentration of chromium or iron was detected. The high surface hardness of this nitride layer will lead to steels and encoders with better wear and corrosion resistance. PMID:27492862

Reformed austenite transformation during fatigue crack propagation of 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thibault, Denis, E-mail: thibault.denis@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec (IREQ), 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, J3X 1S1 (Canada); Bocher, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.bocher@etsmtl.ca [Ecole de technologie superieure, 1100, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 1K3 (Canada); Thomas, Marc, E-mail: marc.thomas@etsmtl.ca [Ecole de technologie superieure, 1100, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 1K3 (Canada); Lanteigne, Jacques, E-mail: lanteigne.jacques@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec (IREQ), 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, J3X 1S1 (Canada); Hovington, Pierre, E-mail: hovington.pierre@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec (IREQ), 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, J3X 1S1 (Canada); Robichaud, Patrice, E-mail: patrice.robichaud@riotinto.com [Centre de recherche et de developpement Arvida (CRDA), 1955, boul. Mellon, Jonquiere, Quebec, G7S 4K8 (Canada)

2011-08-15

Highlights: {yields} Reformed austenite in 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel transforms during fatigue crack growth. {yields} Low cycle fatigue tests showed that this transformation to martensite is gradual. {yields} XRD spectrums obtained on the fracture surface and have been correlated to LCF results. - Abstract: In the as-quenched state, 13%Cr-4%Ni martensitic stainless steels are essentially 100% martensitic. However, a certain amount of austenite is formed during the tempering of this alloy. This reformed austenite is thermally stable at room temperature but can transform to martensite under stress. This transformation is known to happen during impact testing but it has never been established if it occurs during fatigue crack propagation. This study presents the results of X-ray diffraction measurements of reformed austenite before and after crack growth testing. It has been found that reformed austenite does transform to martensite at the crack tip and that this transformation occurs even at a low stress intensity factor. Low-cycle fatigue tests were conducted to verify austenite transformation under cyclic straining. It was found that reformed austenite transforms only partially during the first strain reversal but that essentially all austenite has disappeared after 100 cycles. The relation between austenite transformation under low-cycle fatigue and its transformation during crack growth is also discussed.

Reformed austenite transformation during fatigue crack propagation of 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thibault, Denis; Bocher, Philippe; Thomas, Marc; Lanteigne, Jacques; Hovington, Pierre; Robichaud, Patrice

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Reformed austenite in 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel transforms during fatigue crack growth. → Low cycle fatigue tests showed that this transformation to martensite is gradual. → XRD spectrums obtained on the fracture surface and have been correlated to LCF results. - Abstract: In the as-quenched state, 13%Cr-4%Ni martensitic stainless steels are essentially 100% martensitic. However, a certain amount of austenite is formed during the tempering of this alloy. This reformed austenite is thermally stable at room temperature but can transform to martensite under stress. This transformation is known to happen during impact testing but it has never been established if it occurs during fatigue crack propagation. This study presents the results of X-ray diffraction measurements of reformed austenite before and after crack growth testing. It has been found that reformed austenite does transform to martensite at the crack tip and that this transformation occurs even at a low stress intensity factor. Low-cycle fatigue tests were conducted to verify austenite transformation under cyclic straining. It was found that reformed austenite transforms only partially during the first strain reversal but that essentially all austenite has disappeared after 100 cycles. The relation between austenite transformation under low-cycle fatigue and its transformation during crack growth is also discussed.

Thermal Plasma Spheroidization of High-Nitrogen Stainless Steel Powder Alloys Synthesized by Mechanical Alloying

Science.gov (United States)

Razumov, Nikolay G.; Popovich, Anatoly A.; Wang, QingSheng

2018-03-01

This paper presents the results of experimental studies on the treatment of Fe-23Cr-11Mn-1N high-nitrogen stainless steel powder alloys, synthesized by the mechanical alloying (MA) of elemental powders in the flow of a thermal plasma. Fe-23Cr-11Mn-1N high-nitrogen stainless steel powder alloys were prepared by MA in the attritor under an argon atmosphere. For spheroidization of Fe-23Cr-11Mn-1N high-nitrogen stainless steel powder alloys, the TekSphero 15 plant manufactured by Tekna Plasma Systems Inc was used. The studies have shown the possibility of obtaining Fe-23Cr-11Mn-1N high-nitrogen spherical powders steel alloys from the powder obtained by MA. According to the results of a series of experiments, it was found that the results of plasma spheroidization of powders essentially depend on the size of the fraction due to some difference in the particle shape and flowability, and on the gas regime of the plasma torch. It is established that during the plasma spheroidization process, some of the nitrogen leaves the alloy. The loss rate of nitrogen depends on the size of the initial particles.

Microstructural features of dissimilar welds between 316LN austenitic stainless steel and alloy 800

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sireesha, M.; Sundaresan, S.

2000-01-01

For joining type 316LN austenitic stainless steel to modified 9Cr-1Mo steel for power plant application, a trimetallic configuration using an insert piece (such as alloy 800) of intermediate thermal coefficient of expansion (CTE) has been sometimes suggested for bridging the wide gap in CTE between the two steels. Two joints are thus involved and this paper is concerned with the weld between 316LN and alloy 800. These welds were produced using three types of filler materials: austenitic stainless steels corresponding to 316,16Cr-8Ni-2Mo, and the nickel-base Inconel 182 1 . The weld fusion zones and the interfaces with the base materials were characterised in detail using light and transmission electron microscopy. The 316 and Inconel 182 weld metals solidified dendritically, while the 16-8-2(16%Cr-8%Ni-2%Mo) weld metal showed a predominantly cellular substructure. The Inconel weld metal contained a large number of inclusions when deposited from flux-coated electrodes, but was relatively inclusion-free under inert gas-shielded welding. Long-term elevated-temperature aging of the weld metals resulted in embrittling sigma phase precipitation in the austenitic stainless steel weld metals, but the nickel-base welds showed no visible precipitation, demonstrating their superior metallurgical stability for high-temperature service. (orig.)

On the measurement of austenite in supermartensitic stainless steel by X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tolchard, Julian Richard, E-mail: tolchard@material.ntnu.no [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim (Norway); Sømme, Astri; Solberg, Jan Ketil [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim (Norway); Solheim, Karl Gunnar [Statoil, Stavanger (Norway)

2015-01-15

Sections of a 13Cr supermartensitic stainless steel were investigated to determine the optimum sample preparation for measurement of the austenite content by X-ray diffraction. The surface of several samples was mechanically ground or polished using media of grit sizes in the range 1–120 μm. The strained surface layer was afterwards removed stepwise by electropolishing, and the austenite content measured at each step. It was found that any level of mechanical grinding or polishing results in a reduction of the measured austenite fraction relative to the true bulk value, and that coarser grinding media impart greater damage and greater reduction in the measured austenite content. The results thus highlight the importance of the electropolishing step in preparation of such samples, but suggest that the American Society for Testing and Materials standard E975-03 substantially overestimates the amount of material which needs to be removed to recover the true “bulk” content. - Highlights: • Quantitative Rietveld analysis of austenite/martensite ratio in supermartensitic stainless steels • Critical evaluation of sample preparation for residual austenite measurements by X-ray diffraction • Highlighting of the importance of electropolishing as a final preparation step.

Dynamical recrystallization of high purity austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavard, L.

2001-01-01

The aim of this work is to optimize the performance of structural materials. The elementary mechanisms (strain hardening and dynamical regeneration, germination and growth of new grains) occurring during the hot working of metals and low pile defect energy alloys have been studied for austenitic stainless steels. In particular, the influence of the main experimental parameters (temperature, deformation velocity, initial grain size, impurities amount, deformation way) on the process of discontinuous dynamical recrystallization has been studied. Alloys with composition equal to those of the industrial stainless steel-304L have been fabricated from ultra-pure iron, chromium and nickel. Tests carried out in hot compression and torsion in order to cover a wide range of deformations, deformation velocities and temperatures for two very different deformation ways have allowed to determine the rheological characteristics (sensitivity to the deformation velocity, apparent activation energy) of materials as well as to characterize their microstructural deformations by optical metallography and electron back-scattered diffraction. The influence of the initial grain size and the influence of the purity of the material on the dynamical recrystallization kinetics have been determined. An analytical model for the determination of the apparent mobility of grain boundaries, a semi-analytical model for the dynamical recrystallization and at last an analytical model for the stationary state of dynamical recrystallization are proposed as well as a new criteria for the transition between the refinement state and the state of grain growth. (O.M.)

Combining gradient structure and TRIP effect to produce austenite stainless steel with high strength and ductility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, X.L.; Yang, M.X.; Yuan, F.P.; Chen, L.; Zhu, Y.T.

2016-01-01

We report a design strategy to combine the benefits from both gradient structure and transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP). The resultant TRIP-gradient steel takes advantage of both mechanisms, allowing strain hardening to last to a larger plastic strain. 304 stainless steel sheets were treated by surface mechanical attrition to synthesize gradient structure with a central coarse-grained layer sandwiched between two grain-size gradient layers. The gradient layer is composed of submicron-sized parallelepiped austenite domains separated by intersecting ε-martensite plates, with increasing domain size along the depth. Significant microhardness heterogeneity exists not only macroscopically between the soft coarse-grained core and the hard gradient layers, but also microscopically between the austenite domain and ε-martensite walls. During tensile testing, the gradient structure causes strain partitioning, which evolves with applied strain, and lasts to large strains. The γ → α′ martensitic transformation is triggered successively with an increase of the applied strain and flow stress. Importantly, the gradient structure prolongs the TRIP effect to large plastic strains. As a result, the gradient structure in the 304 stainless steel provides a new route towards a good combination of high strength and ductility, via the co-operation of both the dynamic strain partitioning and TRIP effect.

Monitoring of Fatigue Degradation in Austenitic Stainless Steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalkhof, D.; Niffenegger, M.; Leber, H.J.

2004-01-01

During cyclic loading of austenitic stainless steel, it was observed that microstructural changes occurred; these affect both the mechanical and physical properties of the material. For certain steels, a strain-induced martensite phase transformation was seen. The investigations showed that, for the given material and loading conditions, the volume fraction of martensite depends on the cycle number, temperature and initial material state. It was also found that the martensite content continuously increased with the cycle number. Therefore, the volume fraction of martensite was used as an indication of fatigue usage. It was noted that the temperature dependence of the martensite formation could be described by a Boltzmann function, and that the martensite content decreased with increasing temperature. Two different heats of the austenitic stainless steel X6CrNiTi18-10 (AISI 321, DIN 1.4541) were investigated. It was found that the martensite formation rate was much higher for the cold-worked than for the solution-annealed material. All applied techniques - neutron diffraction and advanced magnetic methods - were successful in detecting the presence of martensite in the differently fatigued specimens. (author)

Expanded austenite in nitrided layers deposited on austenitic and super austenitic stainless steel grades; Analise da austenita expandida em camadas nitretadas em acos inoxidaveis austeniticos e superaustenitico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casteletti, L.C.; Fernandes, F.A.P.; Heck, S.C. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (EESC/USP), Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). Escola de Engenharia. Dept. de Engenharia de Materais, Aeronautica e Automobilistica; Oliveira, A.M. [Instituto de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Maranhao (IFMA), Sao Luis, MA (Brazil); Gallego, J., E-mail: gallego@dem.feis.unesp.b [UNESP, Ilha Solteira, SP (Brazil). Dept. Engenharia Mecanica

2010-07-01

In this work nitrided layers deposited on austenitic and super austenitic stainless steels were analyzed through optical microscopy and X-rays diffraction analysis (XRD). It was observed that the formation of N supersaturated phase, called expanded austenite, has promoted significant increment of hardness (> 1000HV). XRD results have indicated the anomalous displacement of the diffracted peaks, in comparison with the normal austenite. This behavior, combined with peaks broadening, it was analyzed in different nitriding temperatures which results showed good agreement with the literature. (author)

Fatigue crack nucleation of type 316LN stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae Whan; Kim, Woo Gon; Hong, Jun Hwa; Ryu, Woo Seog

2000-01-01

Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF) life decreases drastically with increasing temperature but increases with the addition of nitrogen at room and high temperatures. The effect of nitrogen on LCF life may be related to crack nucleation at high temperatures in austenitic stainless steel because the fraction of crack nucleation in LCF life is about 40%. The influence of nitrogen on the crack nucleation of LCF in type 316LN stainless steel is investigated by observations of crack population and crack depth after testing at 40% of fatigue life. Nitrogen increases the number of cycles to nucleate microcracks of 100 μm but decreases the crack population

Austenitic stainless steels with cryogenic resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarata, Daniela Florentina

1999-01-01

The most used austenitic stainless steels are alloyed with chromium and nickel and have a reduced carbon content, usually lower than 0.1 % what ensures corresponding properties for processing by plastic deformation at welding, corrosion resistance in aggressive environment and toughness at low temperatures. Steels of this kind alloyed with manganese are also used to reduce the nickel content. By alloying with manganese which is a gammageneous element one ensures the stability of austenites. Being cheaper these steels may be used extensively for components and equipment used in cryogenics field. The best results were obtained with steels of second group, AMnNi, in which the designed chemical composition was achieved, i.e. the partial replacement of nickel by manganese ensured the toughness at cryogenic temperatures. If these steels are supplementary alloyed, their strength properties may increase to the detriment of plasticity and toughness, although the cryogenic character is preserved

Microstructural characterization of pulsed plasma nitrided 316L stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asgari, M.; Barnoush, A.; Johnsen, R.; Hoel, R.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The low temperature pulsed plasma nitrided layer of 316 SS was studied. → The plastic deformation induced in the austenite due to nitriding is characterized by EBSD at different depths (i.e., nitrogen concentration). → Nanomechanical properties of the nitride layer was investigated by nanoindentation at different depths (i.e., nitrogen concentration). → High hardness, high nitrogen concentration and high dislocation density is detected in the nitride layer. → The hardness and nitrogen concentration decreased sharply beyond the nitride layer. - Abstract: Pulsed plasma nitriding (PPN) treatment is one of the new processes to improve the surface hardness and tribology behavior of austenitic stainless steels. Through low temperature treatment (<440 deg. C), it is possible to obtain unique combinations of wear and corrosion properties. Such a combination is achieved through the formation of a so-called 'extended austenite phase'. These surface layers are often also referred to as S-phase, m-phase or γ-phase. In this work, nitrided layers on austenitic stainless steels AISI 316L (SS316L) were examined by means of a nanoindentation method at different loads. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the S-phase at different depths were studied. Electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) examination of the layer showed a high amount of plasticity induced in the layer during its formation. XRD results confirmed the formation of the S-phase, and no deleterious CrN phase was detected.

Effect of light impurities on the early stage of swelling in austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igata, N.

1998-01-01

The objective of this study is to analyse the early stage of swelling and clarify the role of light impurities (nitrogen) in swelling of austenitic stainless steel. Recent results show that light impurities affect the swelling of 316 stainless steel under HVEM irradiation up to 10 dpa. At low concentration of light impurities the radiation swelling increases then decreases through the maximum as the concentration of light impurities increases. In the present paper the theoretical model is presented for the explanation of this effect. The model is based on the two factors: the influence of absorbed impurities on the voids caused by the production of an additional gas pressure in voids for their stabilization and the effect of impurities segregated around the surface of voids by the lowering of surface tension. These two affects are taken into account in the calculations of the critical size and the growth rate of cavities. The theoretical predictions on the radiation swelling rate dependent on the impurity concentration and temperature coincided with the experimental results on 316 stainless steel irradiated by HVEM. (orig.)

Effect of both sulphur content and deoxidation degree on the hot ductility of resulphurized austenitic stainless steels in the solidified state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botella, J.; Sanchez, R.

1998-01-01

The manufacture of free machining austenitic stainless steels features a specific drawback derived from their high sulphur content, which is needed for generating, into the austenitic matrix inclusions to optimize the different machining operations. However, sulphur has ahamfull effect on hot workability. This paper deals with assessing the effect of sulphur content and deoxidation level on the hot ductility of resulphurized austenitic stainless steels in as cast condition. Hot tensile tests were conducted on a Gleeble machine, at temperatures between 1,150 and 1,250 degree celsius, studying a suctility factor as a function of sulphur content, deoxidation degree, as well as type, size and distribution of sulfides. Results point out the harmful effect of increasing sulphur and oxygen contents on the hot workability of resulphurized austenitic stainless steels, and the need to control carefully the level of oxides of these steels. (Author) 5 refs

Austenitic stainless steels and high strength copper alloys for fusion components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowcliffe, A.F.; Zinkle, S.J.; Alexander, D.J.; Stubbins, J.F.

1998-01-01

An austenitic stainless steel (316LN), an oxide-dispersion-strengthened copper alloy (GlidCop A125), and a precipitation-hardened copper alloy (Cu-Cr-Zr) are the primary structural materials for the ITER first wall/blanket and divertor systems. While there is a long experience of operating 316LN stainless steel in nuclear environments, there is no prior experience with the copper alloys in neutron environments. The ITER first wall (FW) consists of a stainless steel shield with a copper alloy heat sink bonded by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The introduction of bi-layer structural material represents a new materials engineering challenge; the behavior of the bi-layer is determined by the properties of the individual components and by the nature of the bond interface. The development of the radiation damage microstructure in both classes of materials is summarized and the effects of radiation on deformation and fracture behavior are considered. The initial data on the mechanical testing of bi-layers indicate that the effectiveness of GlidCop A125 as a FW heat sink material is compromised by its strongly anisotropic fracture toughness and poor resistance to crack growth in a direction parallel to the bi-layer interface. (orig.)

Tensile Fracture Behavior of 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel Manufactured by Hot Isostatic Pressing

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, A. J.; Brayshaw, W. J.; Sherry, A. H.

2018-02-01

Herein we investigate how the oxygen content in hot isostatically pressed (HIP'd) 316L stainless steel affects the mechanical properties and tensile fracture behavior. This work follows on from previous studies, which aimed to understand the effect of oxygen content on the Charpy impact toughness of HIP'd steel. We expand on the work by performing room-temperature tensile testing on different heats of 316L stainless steel, which contain different levels of interstitial elements (carbon and nitrogen) as well as oxygen in the bulk material. Throughout the work we repeat the experiments on conventionally forged 316L steel as a reference material. The analysis of the work indicates that oxygen does not contribute to a measureable solution strengthening mechanism, as is the case with carbon and nitrogen in austenitic stainless steels (Werner in Mater Sci Eng A 101:93-98, 1988). Neither does oxygen, in the form of oxide inclusions, contribute to precipitation hardening due to the size and spacing of particles. However, the oxide particles do influence fracture behavior; fractography of the failed tension test specimens indicates that the average ductile dimple size is related to the oxygen content in the bulk material, the results of which support an on-going hypothesis relating oxygen content in HIP'd steels to their fracture mechanisms by providing additional sites for the initiation of ductile damage in the form of voids.

Influence of laser shock peening on irradiation defects in austenitic stainless steels

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Qiaofeng; Su, Qing; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Chenfei; Lu, Yongfeng; Nastasi, Michael; Cui, Bai

2017-06-01

The laser shock peening process can generate a dislocation network, stacking faults, and deformation twins in the near surface of austenitic stainless steels by the interaction of laser-driven shock waves with metals. In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) irradiation studies suggest that these dislocations and incoherent twin boundaries can serve as effective sinks for the annihilation of irradiation defects. As a result, the irradiation resistance is improved as the density of irradiation defects in laser-peened stainless steels is much lower than that in untreated steels. After heating to 300 °C, a portion of the dislocations and stacking faults are annealed out while the deformation twins remain stable, which still provides improved irradiation resistance. These findings have important implications on the role of laser shock peening on the lifetime extension of austenitic stainless steel components in nuclear reactor environments.

Effect of nitrogen on the corrosion behavior of austenitic stainless steel in chloride solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghanem, Wafaa A.

2004-01-01

The effect of partial replacement of nickel with nitrogen on the mechanism of localized corrosion resistance and re-passivation for nitrogen-bearing stainless steel was investigated using anodic potentiodynamic polarization technique. The solutions used for this study contained 0.0, 0.05 and 0.33 M Fe 3+ for solutions I, II and III respectively, in a total Cl - ion concentration 1 M. The pitting attack was found to be retarded by nitrogen addition and the samples were able to passivate as the nitrogen increase. Addition of nitrogen allows decreasing the percentage of Ni, but to a certain limit. Nitrogen is adsorbed on the interface of the metal oxide and results in repulsion of Cl - ions. Moreover, it reacts with H + ions in the solution leading to higher pH, which explains the retardation effect of nitrogen to corrosion. (author)

Effects of nitrogen in shielding gas on microstructure evolution and localized corrosion behavior of duplex stainless steel welding joint

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiqiang; Jing, Hongyang; Xu, Lianyong; Han, Yongdian; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Chao

2017-05-01

The effects of nitrogen addition in shielding gas on microstructure evolution and localized corrosion behavior of duplex stainless steel (DSS) welds were studied. N2-supplemented shielding gas facilitated the primary austenite formation, suppressed the Cr2N precipitation in weld root, and increased the microhardnesses of weld metal. Furthermore, N2-supplemented shielding gas increased pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) of austenite, but which decreased slightly PREN of ferrite. The modified double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation in 2 M H2SO4 + 1 M HCl was an effective method to study the localized corrosion of the different zones in the DSS welds. The adding 2% N2 to pure Ar shielding gas improved the localized corrosion resistance in the DSS welds, which was due to compensation for nitrogen loss and promoting nitrogen further solution in the austenite phases, suppression of the Cr2N precipitation in the weld root, and increase of primary austenite content with higher PREN than the ferrite and secondary austenite. Secondary austenite are prone to selective corrosion because of lower PREN compared with ferrite and primary austenite. Cr2N precipitation in the pure Ar shielding weld root and heat affected zone caused the pitting corrosion within the ferrite and the intergranular corrosion at the ferrite boundary. In addition, sigma and M23C6 precipitation resulted in the intergranular corrosion at the ferrite boundary.

Formation and stabilization of reversed austenite in supermartensitic stainless steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nießen, Frank; Grumsen, Flemming Bjerg; Hald, John

2017-01-01

of the reversed austenite phase fraction. Annealing at higher temperatures led to a gradual increase in hardness which was caused by formation of fresh martensite from reversed austenite. It was demonstrated that stabilization of reversed austenite is primarily based on chemical stabilization by partitioning......The formation and stabilization of reversed austenite upon inter-critical annealing was investigated in a X4CrNiMo16-5-1 (EN 1.4418) supermartensitic stainless steel by means of scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter-diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X......-ray spectroscopy and dilatometry. The results were supported by thermodynamics and kinetics models, and hardness measurements. Isothermal annealing for 2 h in the temperature range of 475 to 650 °C led to gradual softening of the material which was related to tempering of martensite and the steady increase...

On the cryogenic magnetic transition and martensitic transformation of the austenite phase of 7MoPLUS duplex stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lo, K.H., E-mail: KHLO@umac.m [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Macau, Macau (China); Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Lai, J.K.L. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

2010-08-15

The magnetic behaviour and martensitic transformation at cryogenic temperatures (down to 4 K) of the austenite phase of the duplex stainless steel (DSS), 7MoPLUS, were studied. As regards the prediction of Neel temperature, the empirical expressions for austenitic stainless steels are not applicable to the austenite phase of 7MoPLUS, although the composition of the austenite phase falls within the composition ranges within which the expressions were developed. Regarding the prediction of martensitic point Ms, the applicability of 'old' and recently developed expressions has been examined. The recently developed expressions, which take into account more alloying elements and their interactions, are not suitable for the austenite phase of 7MoPLUS. But for the 'old', simpler expressions, they seem to be valid in the sense that they all predict high stability of the austenite phase. Results obtained from 7MoPLUS were qualitatively the same as those obtained from another DSS, designated as 2205. Reasons for the applicability and inapplicability of these empirical expressions are suggested.

Corrosion behaviour of dissimilar welds between ferritic-martensitic stainless steel and austenitic stainless steel from secondary circuit of CANDU NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popa, L.; Fulger, M.; Tunaru, M.; Velciu, L.; Lazar, M.

2016-01-01

Corrosion damages of welds occur in spite of the fact that the proper base metal and filler metal have been correctly selected, industry codes and standards have been followed and welds have been realized with full weld penetration and have proper shape and contour. In secondary circuit of a Nuclear Power Station there are some components which have dissimilar welds. The principal criteria for selecting a stainless steel usually is resistance to corrosion, and white most consideration is given to the corrosion resistance of the base metal, additional consideration should be given to the weld metal and to the base metal immediately adjacent to the weld zone. Our experiments were performed in chloride environmental on two types of samples: non-welded (410 or W 1.4006 ferritic-martensitic steel and 304L or W 1.4307 austenitic stainless steel) and dissimilar welds (dissimilar metal welds: joints between 410 ferritic-martensitic and 304L austenitic stainless steel). To evaluate corrosion susceptibility of dissimilar welds was used electrochemical method (potentiodynamic method) and optic microscopy (microstructural analysis). The present paper follows the localized corrosion behaviour of dissimilar welds between austenitic stainless steel and ferritic-martensitic steel in solutions containing chloride ions. It was evaluated the corrosion rates of samples (welded and non-welded) by electrochemical methods. (authors)

Magnetic properties of the austenitic stainless steels at cryogenic temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, T.; Tsuchiya, K.; Itoh, K.; Kobayashi, S.

2002-01-01

The magnetization was measured for the austenitic stainless steel of SUS304, SUS304L, SUS316, and SUS316L with the temperature from 5K to 300K and the magnetic field from 0T to 10T. The field dependences of the magnetizations changed at about 0.7T and 4T. The dependence was analyzed with ranges of 0-0.5T, 1-3T, and 5-10T. There was not so much difference between those stainless steels for the usage at small fields and 300 K. The SUS316 and SUS316L samples showed large non-linearity at high fields and 5K. Therefore, SUS304 was recommended for usage at high fields and low temperatures to design superconducting magnets with the linear approximation of the field dependence of magnetization

Application Feasibility of PRE 50 grade Super Austenitic Stainless Steel as a Steam Generator Tubing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Yong Soo [Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young sik [Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Taek Jun; Kim, Sun Tae; Park, Hui Sang [Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1997-07-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the properties of the super austenitic stainless steel, SR-50A for application as steam generator tubing material. The microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion properties, were analyzed and the results were compared between super austenitic stainless steel and Alloy 600 and Alloy 690. Super austenitic stainless steel, SR-50A is superior to Alloy 600, Alloy 690 and Alloy 800 in the mechanical properties(tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation). It was investigated that thermal conductivity of SR-50A was higher than Alloy 600. As a result of thermal treatment on super stainless steel, SR-50A, caustic SCC resistance was increased and its resistance was as much as Alloy 600TT and Alloy 690TT. In this study, optimum thermal treatment condition to improve the caustic corrosion properties was considered as 650 deg C or 550 deg C 15 hours. However, it is necessary to verify the corrosion mechanism and to prove the above results in the various corrosive environments. 27 refs., 6 tabs., 59 figs. (author)

Fabrication of spherical high-nitrogen stainless steel powder alloys by mechanical alloying and thermal plasma spheroidization

Science.gov (United States)

Razumov, Nikolay G.; Wang, Qing Sheng; Popovich, Anatoly A.; Shamshurin, Aleksey I.

2018-04-01

This paper describes the results of experimental studies on the treatment of Fe-23Cr-11Mn-1N high-nitrogen stainless steel powder alloys, synthesized by the mechanical alloying (MA) of elemental powders in the flow of a radio frequency thermal plasma. The as-milled powder with irregular particles were successfully converted into spherical high-nitrogen stainless steel powder alloy. Measurement of the residual nitrogen content in the obtained powder, shown that during the plasma spheroidization process, part of the nitrogen escapes from the alloy.

Hydrogen embrittlement of austenitic stainless steels revealed by deformation microstructures and strain-induced creation of vacancies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatano, M.; Fujinami, M.; Arai, K.; Fujii, H.; Nagumo, M.

2014-01-01

Hydrogen embrittlement of austenitic stainless steels has been examined with respect to deformation microstructures and lattice defects created during plastic deformation. Two types of austenitic stainless steels, SUS 304 and SUS 316L, uniformly hydrogen-precharged to 30 mass ppm in a high-pressure hydrogen environment, are subjected to tensile straining at room temperature. A substantial reduction of tensile ductility appears in hydrogen-charged SUS 304 and the onset of fracture is likely due to plastic instability. Fractographic features show involvement of plasticity throughout the crack path, implying the degradation of the austenitic phase. Electron backscatter diffraction analyses revealed prominent strain localization enhanced by hydrogen in SUS 304. Deformation microstructures of hydrogen-charged SUS 304 were characterized by the formation of high densities of fine stacking faults and ε-martensite, while tangled dislocations prevailed in SUS 316L. Positron lifetime measurements have revealed for the first time hydrogen-enhanced creation of strain-induced vacancies rather than dislocations in the austenitic phase and more clustering of vacancies in SUS 304 than in SUS 316L. Embrittlement and its mechanism are ascribed to the decrease in stacking fault energies resulting in strain localization and hydrogen-enhanced creation of strain-induced vacancies, leading to premature fracture in a similar way to that proposed for ferritic steels

Defining the Post-Machined Sub-surface in Austenitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, N.; Sunil Kumar, B.; Kain, V.; Birbilis, N.; Joshi, S. S.; Sivaprasad, P. V.; Chai, G.; Durgaprasad, A.; Bhattacharya, S.; Samajdar, I.

2018-06-01

Austenitic stainless steels grades, with differences in chemistry, stacking fault energy, and thermal conductivity, were subjected to vertical milling. Anodic potentiodynamic polarization was able to differentiate (with machining speed/strain rate) between different post-machined sub-surfaces in SS 316L and Alloy A (a Cu containing austenitic stainless steel: Sanicroe 28™), but not in SS 304L. However, such differences (in the post-machined sub-surfaces) were revealed in surface roughness, sub-surface residual stresses and misorientations, and in the relative presence of sub-surface Cr2O3 films. It was shown, quantitatively, that higher machining speed reduced surface roughness and also reduced the effective depths of the affected sub-surface layers. A qualitative explanation on the sub-surface microstructural developments was provided based on the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity values. The results herein represent a mechanistic understanding to rationalize the corrosion performance of widely adopted engineering alloys.

Defining the Post-Machined Sub-surface in Austenitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, N.; Sunil Kumar, B.; Kain, V.; Birbilis, N.; Joshi, S. S.; Sivaprasad, P. V.; Chai, G.; Durgaprasad, A.; Bhattacharya, S.; Samajdar, I.

2018-04-01

Austenitic stainless steels grades, with differences in chemistry, stacking fault energy, and thermal conductivity, were subjected to vertical milling. Anodic potentiodynamic polarization was able to differentiate (with machining speed/strain rate) between different post-machined sub-surfaces in SS 316L and Alloy A (a Cu containing austenitic stainless steel: Sanicroe 28™), but not in SS 304L. However, such differences (in the post-machined sub-surfaces) were revealed in surface roughness, sub-surface residual stresses and misorientations, and in the relative presence of sub-surface Cr2O3 films. It was shown, quantitatively, that higher machining speed reduced surface roughness and also reduced the effective depths of the affected sub-surface layers. A qualitative explanation on the sub-surface microstructural developments was provided based on the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity values. The results herein represent a mechanistic understanding to rationalize the corrosion performance of widely adopted engineering alloys.

Stress and Composition of Carbon Stabilized Expanded Austenite on Stainless Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2009-01-01

Low-temperature gaseous carburizing of stainless steel is associated with a colossal supersaturation of the fcc lattice with carbon, without the development of carbides. This article addresses the simultaneous determination of stress and composition profiles in layers of carbon xpanded austenite...... obtained by low-temperature gaseous carburizing of AISI 316. X-ray diffraction was applied for the determination of lattice spacing depth profiles by destructive depth profiling and reconstruction of the original lattice spacing profiles from the measured, diffracted intensity weighted, values....... The compressive stress depth distributions correlate with the depth distribution of the strain-free lattice parameter, the latter being a measure for the depth distribution of carbon in expanded austenite. Elastically accommodated compressive stress values as high as -2.7 GPa were obtained, which exceeds...

V and Nb Influence on the Austenitic Stainless Steel Corrosion in 0.1 M HCl

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amel GHARBI

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Vanadium and niobium were added in AISI309 austenitic stainless steel composition to modify their structure and pitting corrosion resistance in 0.1 M HCl. The structural characterization was carried out by X-rays diffraction and optical microscopy. Corrosion behavior was investigated using potentiodynamic tests and electrochemical impedance measurements (EIS .Results showed that vanadium and niobium addition precipitated stable carbides (VC, NbC to chromium carbides’ detriment and improved austenitic stainless steel corrosion resistance.

Characterization of friction stir welded joint of low nickel austenitic stainless steel and modified ferritic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Mounarik; Das, Hrishikesh; Ahn, Eun Yeong; Hong, Sung Tae; Kim, Moon-Jo; Han, Heung Nam; Pal, Tapan Kumar

2017-09-01

Friction stir welding (FSW) of dissimilar stainless steels, low nickel austenitic stainless steel and 409M ferritic stainless steel, is experimentally investigated. Process responses during FSW and the microstructures of the resultant dissimilar joints are evaluated. Material flow in the stir zone is investigated in detail by elemental mapping. Elemental mapping of the dissimilar joints clearly indicates that the material flow pattern during FSW depends on the process parameter combination. Dynamic recrystallization and recovery are also observed in the dissimilar joints. Among the two different stainless steels selected in the present study, the ferritic stainless steels shows more severe dynamic recrystallization, resulting in a very fine microstructure, probably due to the higher stacking fault energy.

Mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels in sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, G.J.

1978-03-01

A detailed review of the mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels in liquid sodium is presented. Consideration has been given to the influence of the of the impurities in reactor sodium and metallurgical variables upon the stress rupture life, the low cycle fatigue and combined creep/fatigue resistance, elastic-plastic crack propagation rates, the high cycle fatigue life, tensile properties and fracture toughness. The effects of exposure to contaminated sodium prior to testing are also discussed. Examples of the success of mechanistic interpretations of materials behaviour in sodium are given and additionally, the extent to which mechanical properties in sodium may be predicted with the use of appropriate data. (author)

Effect of Hot Rolling on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nitrogen Alloyed Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Chenna Krishna, S.; Karthick, N. K.; Jha, Abhay K.; Pant, Bhanu; Cherian, Roy M.

2018-05-01

In the present investigation, the effect of multi-pass hot rolling in the temperature range of 700-1000 °C on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nitrogen alloyed austenitic stainless steel was studied with the aid of optical microscopy, tensile testing and x-ray diffraction measurements. The microstructural changes that occurred in the hot rolled specimens were elongation of grains in rolling direction, nucleation of new grains at the grain boundaries of elongated grains and growth of nucleated grains to form fully recrystallized grains. Elongated grains formed at lower rolling temperature (700-800 °C) due to inadequate strain/temperature for the initiation of dynamic recrystallization. At higher rolling temperature (900-1000 °C), fine grains formed due to dynamic recrystallization. Tensile properties showed strong dependency on the rolling temperature. Tensile strength increased with the decrease in the rolling temperature at the cost of ductility. Maximum strength was observed in samples hot rolled at 700 °C with yield strength of 917 MPa and ductility of 25%. This variation in the tensile properties with the rolling temperature is attributed to changes in the dislocation density and grain structure. The estimated yield strength from the dislocation density, solid solution and grain boundary strengthening closely matched with experimentally determined yield strength confirming the role of dislocation density and grain size in the strengthening.

Studies of microstructure-property relationships in austenitic stainless steels. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spruiell, J.E.

1977-01-01

A final review is presented of the research carried out to provide better understanding of elevated temperature service of austenitic stainless steels, and especially the microstructural stability of both wrought-annealed steels and welded joints

Diffractometry of expanded austenite using synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fewell, M.P.; Priest, J.M.; Collins, G.A.; Short, K.T.

2000-01-01

Full text: The question of the structure of the nitrogen-rich surface layer produced in the nitriding of austenitic stainless steel has been controversial for some time. Diffractometry using conventional x-ray sources is routinely carried out on this material. The result universally seen shows an ostensibly f.c.c. lattice with a larger lattice parameter than that of the underlying austenite. The difficulty with this interpretation lies in the 200 reflection, which lies at slightly lower Bragg angle than expected on the basis of the 111, 220 and 311 reflections. This behaviour is seen in all work known to us, regardless of the grade of austenitic stainless steel or the details of the nitriding technique. It has been explained as due to a mixed f.c.c. phase with different grains having different lattice constants, or as due to a tetragonal distortion of the lattice or an f.c.c lattice with a high frequency of stacking faults, or as indicating a triclinic lattice with a unit cell having all sides equal and two angles equal

Enhancing the capabilities of eddy current techniques for non-destructive evaluation of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, B.P.C.; Thirunavukkarasu, S.; Sasi, B.; Jayakumar, T.; Baldev Raj

2010-01-01

Eddy current non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques find many applications during fabrication and in-service inspection of components made of stainless steel. In recent years, concurrent developments in electromagnetic field detection sensors such as giant magneto-resistive (GMR), giant-magneto impedance (GMI) and SQUIDs sensors, computers, microelectronics, and incorporating advanced signal and image processing techniques, have paved the way for enhancing the capabilities of existing eddy current (EC) techniques for examination of austenitic stainless steel (SS) plates, tubes and other geometries and several innovative methodologies have been developed. This paper highlights a few such applications in EC testing to austenitic stainless steel components used in fast reactors. (author)

Recent Developments of Advanced Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steels for Oil and Gas Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Guocai; Kangas, Pasi

The demands for fuel and the development of the fuel exploitation processes have made it economically possible to produce oil-gas from deeper and more corrosive wells where the parameters such as high chloride, H2S or CO2 content, high temperature and pressure, erosion and bioactivities in seawater should be considered. In these applications, special grades of stainless steels with greater corrosion resistance at a broad range of temperatures and high strength have to be used to meet the requirements. This paper provides an overview on the development, properties and applications of these advanced materials for oil & gas industry. They include recently developed advanced super austenitic stainless steels with high Mo, Ni, Cr and N contents with a PRE (pitting resistance equivalent) number up to 52 and hyper duplex stainless steels.

Effect of shot peening on metastable austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fargas, G., E-mail: gemma.fargas@upc.edu [CIEFMA - Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Centre de Recerca en Nanoenginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Roa, J.J.; Mateo, A. [CIEFMA - Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Centre de Recerca en Nanoenginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2015-08-12

In this work, shot peening was performed in a metastable austenitic stainless steel EN 1.4318 (AISI 301LN) in order to evaluate its effect on austenite to martensite phase transformation and also the influence on the fatigue limit. Two different steel conditions were considered: annealed, i.e., with a fully austenitic microstructure, and cold rolled, consisting of a mixture of austenite and martensite. X-ray diffraction, electron back-scattered diffraction and focus ion beam, as well as nanoindentation techniques, were used to elucidate deformation mechanisms activated during shot peening and correlate with fatigue response. Results pointed out that extensive plastic deformation and phase transformation developed in annealed specimens as a consequence of shot peening. However, the increase of roughness and the generation of microcracks led to a limited fatigue limit improvement. In contrast, shot peened cold rolled specimens exhibited enhanced fatigue limit. In the latter case, the main factor that determined the influence on the fatigue response was the distance from the injector, followed successively by the exit speed of the shots and the coverage factor.

Austenite reversion in low-carbon martensitic stainless steels – a CALPHAD-assisted review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niessen, Frank

2018-01-01

Low-carbon martensitic stainless steels with 11.5–16 wt-% Cr and martensite upon inter-critical annealing. The review treats...... the mechanisms governing the formation and stabilisation of reverted austenite and is assisted by the computation of phase equilibria. Literature data on Cr and Ni concentrations of the reverted austenite/martensite dual-phase microstructure are assessed with respect to predicted concentrations. Reasonable...... agreement was found for concentrations in martensite. Systematic excess of Cr in austenite of approx. 2 wt-% relative to calculations was suspected to originate from the growth of M23C6 with a coherent interface to austenite. Within large scatter, measured values of Ni in austenite were on average 2 wt...

High cycle fatigue of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthier, J.P.; Lehmann, D.; Picker

1990-01-01

This study concerns the evaluation of material data to be used in LMFBR design codes. High cycle fatigue properties of three austenitic stainless steels are evaluated: type AISI 316 (UKAEA tests), type AISI 316L (CEA tests) and type AISI 304 (Interatom tests). The data on these steels comprised some 550 data points from 14 casts. This data set covered a wide range of testing parameters: temperature from 20-625 0 C, frequency from 1-20 000 Hz, constant amplitude and random fatigue loading, with and without mean stress, etc. However, the testing conditions chosen by the three partners differed considerably because they had been fixed independently and not harmonized prior to the tests. This created considerable difficulties for the evaluations. Experimental procedures and statistical treatments used for the three subsets of data are described and discussed. Results are presented in tables and graphs. Although it is often difficult to single out the influence of each parameter due to the different testing conditions, several interesting conclusions can be drawn: The HCF properties of the three steels are consistent with the 0.2% proof stress, the fatigue limit being larger than the latter at temperatures above 550 0 C. The type 304 steel has lower tensile properties than the two other steels and hence also lower HCF properties. Parameters which clearly have a significant effect of HCF behaviour are mean stress or R-ratio (less in the non-endurance region than in the endurance region), temperature, cast or product. Other parameters have probably a weak or no effect but it is difficult to conclude due to insufficient data: environment, specimen orientation, frequency, specimen geometry

Precipitation and cavity formation in austenitic stainless steels during irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, E.H.; Rowcliffe, A.F.; Mansur, L.K.

1982-01-01

Microstructural evolution in austenitic stainless steels subjected to displacement damage at high temperature is strongly influenced by the interaction between helium atoms and second phase particles. Cavity nucleation occurs by the trapping of helium at partially coherent particle-matrix interfaces. The recent precipitate point defect collector theory describes the more rapid growth of precipitate-attached cavities compared to matrix cavities where the precipitate-matrix interface collects point defects to augment the normal point deflect flux to the cavity. Data are presented which support these ideas. It is shown that during nickel ion irradiation of a titanium-modified stainless steel at 675 0 C the rate of injection of helium has a strong effect on the total swelling and also on the nature and distribution of precipitate phases. (orig.)

Comparison of high temperature wear behaviour of plasma sprayed WC–Co coated and hard chromium plated AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balamurugan, G.M.; Duraiselvam, Muthukannan; Anandakrishnan, V.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► WC–12wt.%Co powders were deposited to a thickness of 300 μm on to steel substrates. ► The micro hardness of the above coatings was lower than that of chromium plating. ► Wear resistance of chromium coating was increased up to five times of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel. ► Wear resistance of chromium coat higher than plasma coat at different temperatures. -- Abstract: The wear behaviour of plasma sprayed coating and hard chrome plating on AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel substrate is experimentally investigated in unlubricated conditions. Experiments were conducted at different temperatures (room temp, 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C) with 50 N load and 1 m/s sliding velocity. Wear tests were carried out by dry sliding contact of EN-24 medium carbon steel pin as counterpart on a pin-on-disc wear testing machine. In both coatings, specimens were characterised by hardness, microstructure, coating density and sliding wear resistance. Wear studies showed that the hard chromium coating exhibited improved tribological performance than that of the plasma sprayed WC–Co coating. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) of the coatings showed that the better wear resistance at high temperature has been attributed to the formation of a protective oxide layer at the surface during sliding. The wear mechanisms were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD. It was observed that the chromium coating provided higher hardness, good adhesion with the substrate and nearly five times the wear resistance than that obtained by uncoated AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel.

The improvement of ultrasonic characteristics in weld metal of austenitic stainless steel using magnetic stirring method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arakawa, T.; Tomisawa, Y.

1988-01-01

The magnetic stirring welding process was tested to save the difficulty of ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless steel overlayed welds, due to grain refinement of weld solidification structure. The testing involved stirring the molten pool with Lorenz force induced by the interaction of welding current and alternative magnetic field applied from the outside magnetic coil. This report summarizes improvement of ultrasonic characteristic in austenitic stainless steel overlayed welds caused by magnetic stirring welding process

A review of compatibility of IFR fuel and austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keiser, D.D. Jr.

1996-01-01

Interdiffusion experiments have been conducted to investigate the compatibility of various austenitic stainless steels with U-Pu-Zr alloys, which are alloys to be employed as fuel for the Integral Fast Reactor being developed by Argonne National Laboratory. These tests have also studied the compatibility of austenitic stainless steels with fission products, like the minor actinides (Np and Am) and lanthanides (Ce and Nd), that are generated during the fission process in an IFR. This paper compares the results of these investigations in the context of fuel-cladding compatibility in IFR fuel elements, specifically focusing on the relative Interdiffusion behavior of the components and the types of phases that develop based on binary phase diagrams. Results of Interdiffusion tests are assessed in the light of observations derived from post-test examinations of actual irradiated fuel elements

On qualification of TOFD technique for austenitic stainless steel welds inspection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez-Ona, R. [Tecnatom, San Sebastian de los Reyes (Spain); Viggianiello, S.; Bleuze, A. [Metalscan, Saint-Remy (France)

2006-07-01

Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) technique is gaining ground as a solid method for detection and sizing of defects. It has been reported that TOFD technique provides good results on the inspection of fine grain steels. However, there are few results regarding the application and performance of this technique on austenitic stainless steels. A big challenge of these inspections is the coarse grain structure that produces low signal to noise ratio and may mask the diffraction signals. Appropriate transducer design, selection of technique parameters and analysis tools could overcome the actual difficulties. In this paper, the main design aspects and parameters of the TOFD technique for austenitic steels are presented. It follows the description of qualification tests carried out to validate the technique for inspecting stainless steels welds. To conclude, discussion of results from actual inspections is shown. (orig.)

The Formation of Multipoles during the High-Temperature Creep of Austenitic Stainless Steels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Howell, J.; Nielsson, O.; Horsewell, Andy

1981-01-01

It is shown that multipole dislocation configurations can arise during power-law creep of certain austenitic stainless steels. These multipoles have been analysed in some detail for two particular steels (Alloy 800 and a modified AISI 316L) and it is suggested that they arise either during...... instantaneous loading or during the primary creep stage. Trace analysis has shown that the multipoles are confined to {1 1 1} planes during primary creep but are not necessarily confined to these planes during steady-state creep unless they are pinned by interstitials....

Effects of irradiation on the fracture behavior of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossbeck, M.L.; Stiegler, J.O.; Holmes, J.J.

1977-01-01

Fracture in irradiated materials occurs by mechanisms which occur in unirradiated materials in addition to mechanisms related to irradiation phenomena. The paper examines radiation effects in austenitic stainless steels for use as core structural materials in fast breeder reactors

Influence of laser shock peening on irradiation defects in austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Qiaofeng [Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Su, Qing [Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Wang, Fei [Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Zhang, Chenfei; Lu, Yongfeng [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Nastasi, Michael [Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Cui, Bai, E-mail: bcui3@unl.edu [Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States); Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (United States)

2017-06-15

The laser shock peening process can generate a dislocation network, stacking faults, and deformation twins in the near surface of austenitic stainless steels by the interaction of laser-driven shock waves with metals. In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) irradiation studies suggest that these dislocations and incoherent twin boundaries can serve as effective sinks for the annihilation of irradiation defects. As a result, the irradiation resistance is improved as the density of irradiation defects in laser-peened stainless steels is much lower than that in untreated steels. After heating to 300 °C, a portion of the dislocations and stacking faults are annealed out while the deformation twins remain stable, which still provides improved irradiation resistance. These findings have important implications on the role of laser shock peening on the lifetime extension of austenitic stainless steel components in nuclear reactor environments. - Highlights: •Laser shock peening generates a dislocation network, stacking faults and deformation twins in stainless steels. •Dislocations and incoherent twin boundaries serve as effective sinks for the annihilation of irradiation defects. •Incoherent twin boundaries remain as stable and effective defect sinks at 300 °C.

Gaseous surface hardening of martensitic stainless steels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tibollo, Chiara; Villa, Matteo; Christiansen, Thomas L.

The present work addresses heat and surface treatments of martensitic stainless steel EN 1.4028. Different combinations of heat treatments and surface treatments were performed: conventional austenitisation, cryogenic treatment and in particular high temperature solution nitriding (HTSN) and low...... that cubic lath martensite in conventionally austenitised EN 1.4028 dissolves nitrogen and develops expanded martensite (ferrite) during LTSH. HTSN leads to a microstructure of tetragonal plate martensite and retained austenite. The content of retained austenite can be reduced by a cryo...

Processing of fine grained AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel by cold rolling and high-temperature short-term annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Naghizadeh, Meysam; Mirzadeh, Hamed

2018-05-01

An advanced thermomechanical process based on the formation and reversion of deformation-induced martensite was used to refine the grain size and enhance the hardness of an AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel. Both low and high reversion annealing temperatures and also the repetition of the whole thermomechanical cycle were considered. While a microstructure with average austenite grain size of a few micrometers was achieved based on cold rolling and high-temperature short-term annealing, an extreme grain refinement up to submicrometer regime was obtained by cold rolling followed by low-temperature long-term annealing. However, the required annealing time was found to be much longer, which negates its appropriateness for industrial production. While a magnificent grain refinement was achieved by one pass of the high-temperature thermomechanical process, the reduction in grain size was negligible by the repetition of the whole cycle. It was found that the hardness of the thermomechanically processed material is much higher than that of the as-received material. The results of the present work were shown to be compatible with the general trend of grain size dependence of hardness for AISI 304L stainless steel based on the Hall-Petch relationship. The results were also discussed based on the X-ray evaluation of dislocation density by modified Williamson-Hall plots.

Investigations on structure–property relationships of activated flux TIG weldments of super-duplex/austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Devendranath Ramkumar, K., E-mail: ramdevendranath@gmail.com; Bajpai, Ankur; Raghuvanshi, Shubham; Singh, Anshuman; Chandrasekhar, Aditya; Arivarasu, M.; Arivazhagan, N.

2015-06-25

This research work articulated the effect of SiO{sub 2} flux assisted tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of marine grade stainless steel weldments, such as super-duplex stainless steel (UNS S32750) and austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L). The studies showed that the use of flux decreased the heat input required to obtain complete penetration. Microstructure studies revealed the presence of ferrite at the heat affected zone of AISI 316L and the fusion zone which obviated the hot cracking tendency. Tensile studies corroborated that the joint strength was sufficiently greater than that of the parent metals. Impact toughness slightly impoverished owing to the presence of large platelets of Widmanstätten austenite in the fusion zone. The study also explored the structure–property relationships of the flux assisted weldments using the combined techniques of optical and scanning electron microscopy analysis. Owing to the better metallurgical and mechanical properties, this study recommends the use of SiO{sub 2} flux for joining the dissimilar metals involving austenitic and super-duplex stainless steels.

Investigations on structure–property relationships of activated flux TIG weldments of super-duplex/austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devendranath Ramkumar, K.; Bajpai, Ankur; Raghuvanshi, Shubham; Singh, Anshuman; Chandrasekhar, Aditya; Arivarasu, M.; Arivazhagan, N.

2015-01-01

This research work articulated the effect of SiO 2 flux assisted tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of marine grade stainless steel weldments, such as super-duplex stainless steel (UNS S32750) and austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L). The studies showed that the use of flux decreased the heat input required to obtain complete penetration. Microstructure studies revealed the presence of ferrite at the heat affected zone of AISI 316L and the fusion zone which obviated the hot cracking tendency. Tensile studies corroborated that the joint strength was sufficiently greater than that of the parent metals. Impact toughness slightly impoverished owing to the presence of large platelets of Widmanstätten austenite in the fusion zone. The study also explored the structure–property relationships of the flux assisted weldments using the combined techniques of optical and scanning electron microscopy analysis. Owing to the better metallurgical and mechanical properties, this study recommends the use of SiO 2 flux for joining the dissimilar metals involving austenitic and super-duplex stainless steels

Experimental Analysis of Residual Stresses in Samples of Austenitic Stainless Steel Welded on Martensitic Stainless Steel Used for Kaplan Blades Repairs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasile Cojocaru

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Residual stresses occur in materials as a result of mechanical processes: welding, machining, grinding etc. If residual stresses reach high values they can accelerate the occurrence of cracks and erosion of material. An experimental research was made in order to study the occurrence of residual stresses in the repaired areas of hydraulic turbine components damaged by cavitation erosion. An austenitic stainless steel was welded in various layer thicknesses on a martensitic stainless steel base. The residual stresses were determined using the hole drilling strain gage method.

Stress distributions due to hydrogen concentrations in electrochemically charged and aged austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozenak, P.; Loew, A.

2008-01-01

As a result of hydrogen concentration gradients in type austenitic stainless steels, formed during electrochemical charging and followed by hydrogen loss during aging, at room temperature, surface stresses were developed. These stresses were measured by X-ray technique and the crack formation thus induced could be studied using equilibrium stress equations. After various electrochemical charging and aging times, X-ray diffraction patterns obtained from samples indicated that the reflected and broadened diffraction peaks are the result of the formation of a non-uniform but continuous solid solution in the austenitic matrix. Since both hydrogen penetrations during charging and hydrogen release during aging are diffusion controlled processes and huge hydrogen concentration gradients in the thin surface layer, at depths comparable with the depth of X-ray penetration, are observed. The non-uniform hydrogen concentration in the austenitic matrix, results to the non-uniform expansion of the atomic microstructure and latter inevitably leads to the development of internal stresses. The internal stresses development formulae's are very similar to those relating to non-uniform heating of the materials, where thermal stresses appear due to non-uniform expansion or contraction. The relevant well developed theory is applicable in our case of non-uniform hydrogen concentrations in a solid solution of electrochemically charged and aged austenitic matrix. A few cracks were present on the surface after some minutes of electrochemical charging and the severity of cracking increased as hydrogen was lost during subsequent aging. This is consistent with the expectation of high compressive stresses in the bulk of the specimen during charging and high tensile surface stresses (at the level of 1 x 10 11 Pa) during the aging process. These stresses can induce the formation of surface cracks during the aging process after electrochemical charging in the AISI 316 stainless steel

Interaction between recrystallization and strain-induced precipitation in a high Nb- and N-bearing austenitic stainless steel: Influence of the interpass time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, M.B.R., E-mail: marianabdrs@gmail.com [Department of Materials Engineering, UFSCar, Via Washington Luis, Km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Gallego, J. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, UNESP, Avenida Brasil, 56, 15385-000 Ilha Solteira, SP (Brazil); Cabrera, J.M. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalunya, Avenida Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Fundacio CTM Centre Tecnologic, Plaza de la Ciencia 2, 08243 Manresa (Spain); Balancin, O. [Department of Materials Engineering, UFSCar, Via Washington Luis, Km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Jorge, A.M., E-mail: moreira@dema.ufscar.br [Department of Materials Engineering, UFSCar, Via Washington Luis, Km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil)

2015-06-18

In this work, we studied the influence of the interpass time (20 and 5 s) on the interaction between recrystallization and strain-induced precipitation occurring during multiple passes' deformations under continuous cooling conditions in a high niobium- and nitrogen-bearing austenitic stainless steel (ISO 5832-9). The correlation between microstructure evolution and hot mechanical properties was performed by physical simulation using hot torsion tests. The microstructure evolution was analyzed by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). This technique indicated that dynamic recrystallization occurred at the first passes promoting an excellent grain refinement. On the other hand, shorter interpass time (5 s) allowed higher volume fraction of smallest precipitates than larger interpass time (20 s). After soaking, only TiNbN precipitates were found, whereas, Z-phase (CrNbN) and NbN were formed during thermomechanical processing. Particles with sizes between 20 and 50 nm were effective to pin grain boundaries and dislocations.

Role of Austenite in Brittle Fracture of Bond Region of Super Duplex Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Yoshihiko; Ikeuchi, Kenji; Kuroda, Toshio

Weld simulation of heat-affected zone (HAZ) was performed to investigate the mechanism by which austenite affects the toughness of super duplex stainless steel. Thermal cycles of various peak temperatures in the range from 1373 K to 1673 K corresponding to the HAZ were applied to SAF2507 super duplex stainless steel specimens. Charpy impact test was carried out using the specimens after the weld simulation, and the fracture surfaces were observed by SEM using three-dimensionally reconstruction technique. Austenite content decreased with increasing the peak temperature when the peak temperature exceeded 1473 K and the impact value decreased with increasing the peak temperature and decreasing the austenite content. The thermal cycle of the peak temperature of 1673 K corresponding to weld bond region caused decreasing of austenite content which was 22% lower than that of the base metal. The ductile-brittle transition temperature was measured. As a result the temperature increased rapidly in the weld bond region, the peak temperature of which exceeded 1623 K by the grain growth of ferrite matrix occurring subsequently to the completely dissolution of austenite. The morphology of the fracture surfaces after impact testing at 77 K showed cleavage fracture of ferrite. The {100} orientations of cleavage fracture facets were measured using three-dimensional images of the fracture surfaces and the results were visualized as the orientation color maps. The results showed that there were cleavage fractures consisting of a few facets parallel to each other. It was considered that a few facets existed in one ferrite grain. It was concluded that Widmanstätten austenite divided the large fracture into smaller cleavage facets in a ferrite grain and then suppressed the degradation of bond toughness of duplex stainless steel.

Resistance Element Welding of Magnesium Alloy/austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Manladan, S. M.; Yusof, F.; Ramesh, S.; Zhang, Y.; Luo, Z.; Ling, Z.

2017-09-01

Multi-material design is increasingly applied in the automotive and aerospace industries to reduce weight, improve crash-worthiness, and reduce environmental pollution. In the present study, a novel variant of resistance spot welding technique, known as resistance element welding was used to join AZ31 Mg alloy to 316 L austenitic stainless steel. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints were evaluated. It was found that the nugget consisted of two zones, including a peripheral fusion zone on the stainless steel side and the main fusion zone. The tensile shear properties of the joints are superior to those obtained by traditional resistance spot welding.

Mass transfer behavior of a modified austenitic stainless steel in lithium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tortorelli, P.F.; DeVan, J.H.

1983-01-01

An austenitic stainless steel that was developed to resist neutron damage was exposed to lithium in the high-temperature part of a thermal convection loop for 6700 h. Specimens of this Prime Candidate Alloy (PCA) composed of 65.0 Fe-15.9 Ni-13.0 Cr-1.9 Mo-1.9 Mn-1.7 Si-0.5 Ti-0.05 C (wt %) were exposed at 600 and 570 0 C in both solution annealed and cold worked forms. The dissolution process was found to be similar to other austenitic alloys in flowing lithium: weight losses of PCA eventually became linearly proportional to exposure time with the specimen surfaces exhibiting porous layers depleted in nickel and chromium. However, the measured weight losses and dissolution rates of these PCA specimens were higher than those of type 316 stainless steel exposed under similar conditions and can be attributed to the higher nickel concentration of the former alloy. The effect of cold work on dissolution rates was less definitive, particularly at 570 0 C. At longer exposure times, the annealed PCA specimen exposed at 600 0 C suffered greater dissolution than the cold worked material, while no effect of prior deformation was observed by analysis of the respective surfaces

High temperature strength and aging behavior of 12%Cr-15%Mn austenitic steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyahara, Kazuya; Bae, Dong-Su; Sakai, Hidenori; Hosoi, Yuzo

1993-01-01

High Mn-Cr austenitic steels are still considered to be an important high temperature structural material from the point of view of reduced radio-activation. The objective of the present study is to make a fundamental research of mechanical properties and microstructure of 12%Cr-15%Mn austenitic steels. Especially the effects of alloying elements of V and Ti on the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of high Mn-Cr steels were studied. Precipitation behaviors of carbides, nitrides and σ phase are investigated and their remarkable effects on the high temperature strength are found. The addition of V was very effective for strengthening the materials with the precipitation of fine VN. Ti was also found to be beneficial for the improvement of high temperature strength properties. The results of high temperature strengths of the 12Cr-15Mn austenitic steels were compared with those of the other candidate and/or reference materials, for example, JFMS (modified 9Cr-2Mo ferritic stainless steel) and JPCAs (modified 316 austenitic stainless steels). (author)

Determination of the concentration dependent diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in expanded austenite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2008-01-01

The concentration dependent diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in expanded austenite was determined from of the rate of retracting nitrogen from thin initially N-saturated coupons. Nitrogen saturated homogeneous foils of expanded austenite were obtained by nitriding AISI 304 and AISI 316 in pure...... in the composition range where nitrogen can be extracted by hydrogen gas at the diffusion temperature. Numerical simulation of the denitriding experiments shows that the thus determined concentration dependent diffusion coefficients are an accurate approximation of the actual diffusivity of nitrogen in expanded...... ammonia at 693 K and 718 K. Denitriding experiments were performed by equilibrating the foils with a successively lower nitrogen activity, as imposed by a gas mixture of ammonia and hydrogen. The concentration dependent diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in expanded austenite was approximated...

Long-range effect in nitrogen ion-implanted AISI 316L stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Budzynski, P., E-mail: p.budzynski@pollub.pl

2015-01-01

The effect of nitrogen ion implantation on AISI 316L stainless steel was investigated. The microstructure and composition of an N implanted layer were studied by RBS, GIXRD, SEM, and EDX measurements. Friction and wear tests were also performed. The discrepancy between the measured and calculated stopped ion maximum range does not exceed 0.03 μm. After nitrogen implantation with a fluence of 5 × 10{sup 17} ion/cm{sup 2}, additional phases of expanded austenite were detected. At a 5-fold larger depth than the maximum ion range, improvement in the coefficient of friction and wear was detected. We have shown, for the first time, the long-range effect in tribological investigations. The long-range effect is caused by movement of not only defects along the depth of the sample, as assumed so far, but also nitrogen atoms.

Long-range effect in nitrogen ion-implanted AISI 316L stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Budzynski, P.

2015-01-01

The effect of nitrogen ion implantation on AISI 316L stainless steel was investigated. The microstructure and composition of an N implanted layer were studied by RBS, GIXRD, SEM, and EDX measurements. Friction and wear tests were also performed. The discrepancy between the measured and calculated stopped ion maximum range does not exceed 0.03 μm. After nitrogen implantation with a fluence of 5 × 1017 ion/cm2, additional phases of expanded austenite were detected. At a 5-fold larger depth than the maximum ion range, improvement in the coefficient of friction and wear was detected. We have shown, for the first time, the long-range effect in tribological investigations. The long-range effect is caused by movement of not only defects along the depth of the sample, as assumed so far, but also nitrogen atoms.

Potential high fluence response of pressure vessel internals constructed from austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garner, F.A.; Greenwood, L.R.; Harrod, D.L.

1993-08-01

Many of the in-core components in pressurized water reactors are constructed of austenitic stainless steels. The potential behavior of these components can be predicted using data on similar steels irradiated at much higher displacement rates in liquid-metal reactors or water-cooled mixed-spectrum reactors. Consideration of the differences between the pressurized water environment and that of the other reactors leads to the conclusion that significant amounts of void swelling, irradiation creep, and embrittlement will occur in some components, and that the level of damage per atomic displacement may be larger in the pressurized water environment

Hydrogen Embrittlement Mechanism in Fatigue Behaviour of Austenitic and Martensitic Stainless Steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brück Sven

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the influence of hydrogen on the fatigue behaviour of the high strength martensitic stainless steel X3CrNiMo13-4 and the metastable austenitic stainless steels X2Crni19-11 with various nickel contents was examined in the low and high cycle fatigue regime. The focus of the investigations was the changes in the mechanisms of short crack propagation. The aim of the ongoing investigation is to determine and quantitatively describe the predominant processes of hydrogen embrittlement and their influence on the short fatigue crack morphology and crack growth rate. In addition, simulations were carried out on the short fatigue crack growth, in order to develop a detailed insight into the hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms relevant for cyclic loading conditions.

OPTIMIZATION OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS OF AISI 304 AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL IN DRY TURNING OPERATION USING TAGUCHI DESIGN METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. PHILIP SELVARAJ

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The present work is concentrated with the dry turning of AISI 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel (ASS. This paper presents the influence of cutting parameters like cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut on the surface roughness of austenitic stainless steel during dry turning. A plan of experiments based on Taguchi’s technique has been used to acquire the data. An orthogonal array, the signal to noise (S/N ratio and the analysis of variance (ANOVA are employed to investigate the cutting characteristics of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel bars using TiC and TiCN coated tungsten carbide cutting tool. Finally the confirmation tests that have been carried out to compare the predicted values with the experimental values confirm its effectiveness in the analysis of surface roughness.

Ultrasonic velocity measurements- a potential sensor for intelligent processing of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkadesan, S.; Palanichamy, P.; Vasudevan, M.; Baldev Raj

1996-01-01

Development of sensors based on Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques for on-line sensing of microstructure and properties requires a thorough knowledge on the relation between the sensing mechanism/measurement of an NDE technique and the microstructure. As a first step towards developing an on-line sensor for studying the dynamic microstructural changes during processing of austenitic stainless steels, ultrasonic velocity measurements have been carried out to study the microstructural changes after processing. Velocity measurements could follow the progress of annealing starting from recovery, onset and completion of recrystallization, sense the differences in the microstructure obtained after hot deformation and estimate the grain size. This paper brings out the relation between the sensing method based on ultrasonic velocity measurements and the microstructure in austenitic stainless steel. (author)

Evolution behavior of nanohardness after thermal-aging and hydrogen-charging on austenite and strain-induced martensite in pre-strained austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yuanyuan; Zhou, Chengshuang; Hong, Yuanjian; Zheng, Jinyang; Zhang, Lin

2018-05-01

Nanoindentation has been used to study the effects of thermal-aging and hydrogen on the mechanical property of the metastable austenitic stainless steel. Thermal-aging at 473 K decreases the nanohardness of austenite, while it increases the nanohardness of strain-induced ɑ‧ martensite. Hydrogen-charging at 473 K increases the nanohardness of austenite, while it decreases the nanohardness of strain-induced ɑ‧ martensite. The opposite effect on austenite and ɑ‧ martensite is first found in the same pre-strained sample. This abnormal evolution behavior of hardness can be attributed to the interaction between dislocation and solute atoms (carbon and hydrogen). Carbon atoms are difficult to move and redistribute in austenite compared with ɑ‧ martensite. Therefore, the difference in the diffusivity of solute atoms between austenite and ɑ‧ martensite may result in the change of hardness.

Experimental determination of the constitutive behaviour of a metastable austenitic stainless steel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Post, J.; Nolles, H.; Datta, K.; Datta, K.; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.

2008-01-01

This article presents measurements to describe the constitutive behaviour of a semi-austenitic precipitation hardenable stainless steel called Sandvik Nanoflex™, during metal forming and hardening. The material is metastable, which causes strain-induced transformation during forming. Depending on

Effect of Plastic Pre-straining on Residual Stress and Composition Profiles in Low-Temperature Surface-Hardened Austenitic Stainless Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bottoli, Federico; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Winther, Grethe

2016-01-01

The present work deals with the evaluation of the residual stress profiles in expanded austenite by applying grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) combined with successive sublayer removal. Annealed and deformed (εeq=0.5) samples of stable stainless steel EN 1.4369 were nitrided...... or nitrocarburized. The residual stress profiles resulting from the thermochemical low-temperature surface treatment were measured. The results indicate high-residual compressive stresses of several GPa’s in the nitrided region, while lower-compressive stresses are produced in the carburized case. Plastic...... deformation in the steel prior to thermochemical treatment has a hardly measurable influence on the nitrogen-rich zone, while it has a measurable effect on the stresses and depth of the carbon-rich zone....

The influence of He on the high temperature fracture of an austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saguees, A.A.

1976-01-01

The Ti-stabilised DIN 1.4970 austenitic stainless steel is an important candidate for high temperature - high neutron fluence applications which will create appreciable amounts of He within the matrix. In order to determine the mechanical effects associated with the presence of He alone a set of tensile specimens was cyclotron implanted to uniform He concentrations in the 10 -6 to 10 -4 at. range and later creep tested at 700 0 C and 800 0 C. The elongation to fracture values of the implanted specimens were reduced with respect to those of unimplanted controls. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) examination revealed that fracture starts as intergranular and subsequently propagates in a transgranular fashion, the intergranular part being much more extended in the implanted material. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) examination revealed He segregation at the grain boundary precipitates. A mechanism of He embrittlement is discussed in terms of the present results

Study of problems associated with the ultrasonic examination of repeatedly repaired austenitic stainless steel welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subbaratnam, R.; Palaniappan, M.; Baskaran, A.; Chandramohan, R.

1994-01-01

In recent years the ultrasonic examination of austenitic stainless steel weldments has gained increased importance as an NDE technique for the volumetric examination in the nuclear power plant construction and other industries. A study has been undertaken to evaluate the effects of multiple repairs on austenitic stainless steel weldments, for the successful ultrasonic examination. The test welds have been subjected to repeated welding cycles and the ultrasonic parameters including the defect characterization have been evaluated for analysis. The paper discusses the approach followed, analysis, results obtained and the recommendations based on the above. 1 fig., 2 tabs

Deformation Induced Martensitic Transformation and Its Initial Microstructure Dependence in a High Alloyed Duplex Stainless Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xie, Lin; Huang, Tian Lin; Wang, Yu Hui

2017-01-01

Deformation induced martensitic transformation (DIMT) usually occurs in metastable austenitic stainless steels. Recent studies have shown that DIMT may occur in the austenite phase of low alloyed duplex stainless steels. The present study demonstrates that DIMT can also take place in a high alloyed...... Fe–23Cr–8.5Ni duplex stainless steel, which exhibits an unexpectedly rapid transformation from γ-austenite into α′-martensite. However, an inhibited martensitic transformation has been observed by varying the initial microstructure from a coarse alternating austenite and ferrite band structure...

Microstructural investigations of fast reactor irradiated austenitic and ferritic-martensitic stainless steel fuel cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agueev, V.S.; Medvedeva, E.A.; Mitrofanova, N.M.; Romanueev, V.V.; Tselishev, A.V.

1992-01-01

Electron microscopy has been used to characterize the microstructural changes induced in advanced fast reactor fuel claddings fabricated from Cr16Ni15Mo3NbB and Cr16Ni15Mo2Mn2TiVB austenitic stainless steels in the cold worked condition and Cr13Mo2NbVB ferritic -martensitic steel following irradiation in the BOR-60, BN-350 and BN-600 fast reactors. The data are compared with the results obtained from a typical austenitic commercial cladding material, Cr16Ni15Mo3Nb, in the cold worked condition. The results reveal a beneficial effect of boron and other alloying elements in reducing void swelling in 16Cr-15Ni type austenitic steels. The high resistance of ferritic-martensitic steels to void swelling has been confirmed in the Cr13Mo2NbVB steel. (author)

Numerical and experimental study of long term creep damage in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Yiting

2015-01-01

The creep fracture of 316L(N) austenitic stainless steels has been studied both experimentally and theoretically for temperatures from 525 C up to 700 C and lifetimes up to nineteen years. For short term creep, failure is due to necking. Experimental lifetimes are bounded by the lower and upper bound predictions provided by a necking model and taking into account scatter in input parameters. This model leads to fair predictions of lifetimes up to a few thousand hours at very high temperature. Based on FEG-SEM observations, the transition observed in the failure curves is due to intergranular cavitation. The Riedel modeling of cavity growth by vacancy diffusion along grain boundaries coupled with continuous nucleation is carried out. Lifetimes are predicted fairly well using this model for long term creep failure whatever the considered austenitic stainless steel (316L(N), 304H, 316H, 321H) and the applied temperature (525 C - 700 C). Taking into account low and high stress regimes of Norton-power law, the Riedel model allows us to predict the creep lifetimes up to 25 years which differ from experimental data by less than a factor 3. The effect of the heterogeneity of the microstructure on grain boundary stress concentrations and cavity nucleation is simulated by the finite element method (Cast3M software). It aims to determine the distribution of grain boundary normal stress fields around precipitates depending on time and temperature. The features of the precipitates and the creep behavior of the austenitic matrix are both taking into account. (author) [fr

Effect of pre-strain on creep of three AISI 316 austenitic stainless steels in relation to reheat cracking of weld-affected zones

Science.gov (United States)

Auzoux, Q.; Allais, L.; Caës, C.; Monnet, I.; Gourgues, A. F.; Pineau, A.

2010-05-01

Microstructural modifications induced by welding of 316 stainless steels and their effect on creep properties and relaxation crack propagation were examined. Cumulative strain due to multi-pass welding hardens the materials by increasing the dislocation density. Creep tests were conducted on three plates from different grades of 316 steel at 600 °C, with various carbon and nitrogen contents. These plates were tested both in the annealed condition and after warm rolling, which introduced pre-strain. It was found that the creep strain rate and ductility after warm rolling was reduced compared with the annealed condition. Moreover, all steels exhibited intergranular crack propagation during relaxation tests on Compact Tension specimens in the pre-strained state, but not in the annealed state. These results confirmed that the reheat cracking risk increases with both residual stress triaxiality and pre-strain. On the contrary, high solute content and strain-induced carbide precipitation, which are thought to increase reheat cracking risk of stabilised austenitic stainless steels did not appear as key parameters in reheat cracking of 316 stainless steels.

Effect of pre-strain on creep of three AISI 316 austenitic stainless steels in relation to reheat cracking of weld-affected zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auzoux, Q.; Allais, L.; Caes, C.; Monnet, I.; Gourgues, A.F.; Pineau, A.

2010-01-01

Microstructural modifications induced by welding of 316 stainless steels and their effect on creep properties and relaxation crack propagation were examined. Cumulative strain due to multi-pass welding hardens the materials by increasing the dislocation density. Creep tests were conducted on three plates from different grades of 316 steel at 600 deg. C, with various carbon and nitrogen contents. These plates were tested both in the annealed condition and after warm rolling, which introduced pre-strain. It was found that the creep strain rate and ductility after warm rolling was reduced compared with the annealed condition. Moreover, all steels exhibited intergranular crack propagation during relaxation tests on Compact Tension specimens in the pre-strained state, but not in the annealed state. These results confirmed that the reheat cracking risk increases with both residual stress triaxiality and pre-strain. On the contrary, high solute content and strain-induced carbide precipitation, which are thought to increase reheat cracking risk of stabilised austenitic stainless steels did not appear as key parameters in reheat cracking of 316 stainless steels.

Improvement of corrosion resistance in austenitic stainless steel by grain boundary character distribution control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yun; Kaneda, Junya; Kasahara, Shigeki; Shigenaka, Naoto

2012-01-01

Strauss test, Coriou test and Huey test were conducted on a Type 316L austenitic stainless steel. Improvement in grain boundary corrosion resistance was verified after raising low Σ coincidence site lattice (CSL) grain boundary (GB) frequency by controlling grain boundary character distribution (GBCD). During crevice corrosion test under gamma-ray irradiation, initiation frequency of GB corrosion after GBCD controlled specimens decreased to 1/10 of GBCD uncontrolled counterpart along with lower depth of corrosion. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) propagation rate of GBCD controlled specimen decreased to less than 1/2 of GBCD uncontrolled specimen in high temperature and high pressure water. Based on these results, we expect that GBCD control will improve corrosion resistance of austenitic material in a wide range of application and environment. (author)

Austenitic stainless steel alloys having improved resistance to fast neutron-induced swelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

A specification is provided for an austenitic stainless steel consisting of Fe, Cr and Ni, with small amounts of Mo, Mn, Si and Ti. The specification includes a fuel element and a method for cladding a reactor fuel. (U.K.)

Fatigue crack growth of 316NG austenitic stainless steel welds at 325 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y. F.; Xiao, J.; Chen, Y.; Zhou, J.; Qiu, S. Y.; Xu, Q.

2018-02-01

316NG austenitic stainless steel is a commonly-used material for primary coolant pipes of pressurized water reactor systems. These pipes are usually joined together by automated narrow gap welding process. In this study, welds were prepared by narrow gap welding on 316NG austenitic stainless steel pipes, and its microstructure of the welds was characterized. Then, fatigue crack growth tests were conducted at 325 °C. Precipitates enriched with Mn and Si were found in the fusion zone. The fatigue crack path was out of plane and secondary cracks initiated from the precipitate/matrix interface. A moderate acceleration of crack growth was also observed at 325°Cair and water (DO = ∼10 ppb) with f = 2 Hz.

Intergranular Corrosion Behavior of Low-Nickel and 304 Austenitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Bansod, Ankur V.; Patil, Awanikumar P.; Moon, Abhijeet P.; Khobragade, Nilay N.

2016-09-01

Intergranular corrosion (IGC) susceptibility for Cr-Mn austenitic stainless steel and 304 austenitic stainless steel (ASS) was estimated using electrochemical techniques. Optical and SEM microscopy studies were carried out to investigate the nature of IGC at 700 °C with increasing time (15, 30, 60, 180, 360, 720, 1440 min) according to ASTM standard 262 A. Quantitative analysis was performed to estimate the degree of sensitization (DOS) using double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (DLEPR) and EIS technique. DLEPR results indicated that with the increase in thermal aging duration, DOS becomes more severe for both types of stainless steel. The DOS for Cr-Mn ASS was found to be higher (65.12% for 1440 min) than that of the AISI 304 ASS (23% for 1440 min). The higher degree of sensitization resulted in lowering of electrical charge capacitance resistance. Chronoamperometry studies were carried out at a passive potential of 0.4 V versus SCE and was observed to have a higher anodic dissolution of the passive film of Cr-Mn ASS. EDS studies show the formation of chromium carbide precipitates in the vicinity of the grain boundary. The higher Mn content was also observed for Cr-Mn ASS at the grain boundary.

Characterization of microstructure and texture across dissimilar super duplex/austenitic stainless steel weldment joint by super duplex filler metal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eghlimi, Abbas, E-mail: a.eghlimi@ma.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shamanian, Morteza [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Eskandarian, Masoomeh [Department of Materials Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71348-51154 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zabolian, Azam [Department of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Szpunar, Jerzy A. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5A9 (Canada)

2015-08-15

In the present paper, microstructural changes across an as-welded dissimilar austenitic/duplex stainless steel couple welded by a super duplex stainless steel filler metal using gas tungsten arc welding process is characterized with optical microscopy and electron back-scattered diffraction techniques. Accordingly, variations of microstructure, texture, and grain boundary character distribution of base metals, heat affected zones, and weld metal were investigated. The results showed that the weld metal, which was composed of Widmanstätten austenite side-plates and allotriomorphic grain boundary austenite morphologies, had the weakest texture and was dominated by low angle boundaries. The welding process increased the ferrite content but decreased the texture intensity at the heat affected zone of the super duplex stainless steel base metal. In addition, through partial ferritization, it changed the morphology of elongated grains of the rolled microstructure to twinned partially transformed austenite plateaus scattered between ferrite textured colonies. However, the texture of the austenitic stainless steel heat affected zone was strengthened via encouraging recrystallization and formation of annealing twins. At both interfaces, an increase in the special character coincident site lattice boundaries of the primary phase as well as a strong texture with <100> orientation, mainly of Goss component, was observed. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Weld metal showed local orientation at microscale but random texture at macroscale. • Intensification of <100> orientated grains was observed adjacent to the fusion lines. • The austenite texture was weaker than that of the ferrite in all duplex regions. • Welding caused twinned partially transformed austenites to form at SDSS HAZ. • At both interfaces, the ratio of special CSL boundaries of the primary phase increased.

A study on corrosion resistance of dissimilar welds between Monel 400 and 316L austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Mani, Cherish; Karthikeyan, R.; Vincent, S.

2018-04-01

An attempt has been made to study the corrosion resistance of bi-metal weld joints of Monel 400 tube to stainless steel 316 tube by GTAW process. The present research paper contributes to the ongoing research work on the use of Monel400 and 316L austenitic stainless steel in industrial environments. Potentiodynamic method is used to investigate the corrosion behavior of Monel 400 and 316L austenitic stainless steel welded joints. The analysis has been performed on the base metal, heat affected zone and weld zone after post weld heat treatment. Optical microscopy was also performed to correlate the results. The heat affected zone of Monel 400 alloy seems to have the lowest corrosion resistance whereas 316L stainless steel base metal has the highest corrosion resistance.

Electron microscopy and plastic deformation of industrial austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Barry

1976-01-01

The different mechanisms of plastic deformation observed in austenitic stainless steels are described and the role of transmission electron microscopy in the elucidation of the mechanisms is presented. At temperatures below 0,5Tm, different variants of dislocation glide are competitive: slip of perfect and partial dislocations, mechanical twinning and strain-induced phase transformations. The predominance of one or other of these mechanisms can be rationalized in terms of the temperature and composition dependence of the stacking fault energy and the thermodynamic stability of the austenite. At temperatures above 0,5Tm dislocation climb and diffusion of point defects become increasingly important and at these temperatures recovery, recrystallization and precipitation can also occur during deformation [fr

Corrosion of silicon-containing austenitic stainless steels under trans-passive conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stolarz, Jacek

1989-01-01

This research thesis addresses austenitic stainless steels which are used in installations for the chemical treatment of nuclear fuels, and are there in contact with nitric acid solutions the oxidising character of which generally promotes metal passivity. However, if this nitric environment becomes too oxidising, these steels may face severe corrosion problems. More particularly, this thesis addresses the study of intergranular corrosion, and aims at analysing various aspects of the corrosion of these austenitic stainless steels in trans-passive conditions. The author aims at determining and distinguishing the contributions due to silicon and those related to the presence of other impurities and addition elements by comparing the behaviours of industrial grade steels and high purity alloys in rigorously controlled electrochemical conditions. Another objective is to study the influence of the intergranular structure on silicon segregation by means of an attack technique in trans-passive conditions. After a report of a bibliographical study on the addressed topics and a presentation of the studied materials and implemented experimental techniques, the author reports the study of steel behaviour with respect to generalised dissolution in trans-passive conditions, as well in the nitric environment as in a sulphuric acid solution at imposed potential. Localised intragranular corrosion phenomena are discussed. A trans-passive intragranular corrosion model is proposed, and its possibilities in the analysis of intergranular segregation analysis are discussed. Experimental results of trans-passive intergranular corrosion of stainless steels are presented and interpreted by using the McLean segregation model. The influence of steel composition and of experimental conditions is discussed, as well as the role of grain boundary structure in the corrosion process [fr

Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition based methodology for ultrasonic testing of coarse grain austenitic stainless steels.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Govind K; Kumar, Anish; Jayakumar, T; Purnachandra Rao, B; Mariyappa, N

2015-03-01

A signal processing methodology is proposed in this paper for effective reconstruction of ultrasonic signals in coarse grained high scattering austenitic stainless steel. The proposed methodology is comprised of the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) processing of ultrasonic signals and application of signal minimisation algorithm on selected Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) obtained by EEMD. The methodology is applied to ultrasonic signals obtained from austenitic stainless steel specimens of different grain size, with and without defects. The influence of probe frequency and data length of a signal on EEMD decomposition is also investigated. For a particular sampling rate and probe frequency, the same range of IMFs can be used to reconstruct the ultrasonic signal, irrespective of the grain size in the range of 30-210 μm investigated in this study. This methodology is successfully employed for detection of defects in a 50mm thick coarse grain austenitic stainless steel specimens. Signal to noise ratio improvement of better than 15 dB is observed for the ultrasonic signal obtained from a 25 mm deep flat bottom hole in 200 μm grain size specimen. For ultrasonic signals obtained from defects at different depths, a minimum of 7 dB extra enhancement in SNR is achieved as compared to the sum of selected IMF approach. The application of minimisation algorithm with EEMD processed signal in the proposed methodology proves to be effective for adaptive signal reconstruction with improved signal to noise ratio. This methodology was further employed for successful imaging of defects in a B-scan. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of initial grain size on dynamic recrystallization in high purity austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Wahabi, M.; Gavard, L.; Montheillet, F.; Cabrera, J.M.; Prado, J.M.

2005-01-01

The influence of initial microstructure on discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) has been investigated by using high purity and ultra high purity austenitic stainless steels with various initial grain sizes. After uniaxial compression tests at constant strain rates and various temperatures, the steady state microstructure or the state corresponding to the maximum strain (ε = 1) attained in the test was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy aided with automated electron back scattering diffraction. Recrystallized grain size d rec and twin boundary fraction f TB measurements were carried out. The mechanical behavior was also investigated by comparing experimental stress-strain curves with various initial grain sizes. DDRX kinetics was described by the classical Avrami equation. It was concluded that larger initial grain sizes promoted a delay in the DDRX onset in the two alloys. It was also observed that the softening process progressed faster for smaller initial grain sizes. The effect of initial grain size is larger in the HP material and becomes more pronounced at low temperature

Moessbauer spectroscopy of He irradiated austenitic stainless steel SUS304 at low temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horii, Kiyomasa; Ishibashi, Tetsu; Toriyama, Tamotsu; Wakabayashi, Hidehiko; Iijima, Hiroshi [Musashi Inst. of Tech., Tokyo (Japan); Kawasaki, Katsunori; Hayashi, Nobuyuki; Sakamoto, Isao

1996-04-01

SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel causes the magnetic transition at 60 K, and the Young`s modulus lowers. In addition, its composition elements have the large (n,{alpha}) reaction cross section to high energy neutrons, and helium is apt to be generated, and this is a factor that lowers the material strength. In the He-irradiated parts in austenitic stainless steel, the precursory state of martensite transformation should exist, and its effect is considered to be observable by carrying out low temperature Moessbauer spectroscopy. As to the preparation of He-irradiation samples, the SUS 304 foils used and the irradiation conditions are described. The measurement of low temperature Moessbauer spectra for the samples without irradiation and with irradiation is reported. In order to determine the magnetic transition point, the thermal scanning measurement was carried out for the samples without or with irradiation. The martensite transformation was measured by X-ray diffraction and transmission type Moessbauer spectroscopy. In order to observe the state of the sample surfaces, the measurement by internal conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy was performed. These results and the temperature dependence of the Moessbauer spectra for the irradiated parts are reported. (K.I.)

Moessbauer spectroscopy of He irradiated austenitic stainless steel SUS304 at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horii, Kiyomasa; Ishibashi, Tetsu; Toriyama, Tamotsu; Wakabayashi, Hidehiko; Iijima, Hiroshi; Kawasaki, Katsunori; Hayashi, Nobuyuki; Sakamoto, Isao.

1996-01-01

SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel causes the magnetic transition at 60 K, and the Young's modulus lowers. In addition, its composition elements have the large (n,α) reaction cross section to high energy neutrons, and helium is apt to be generated, and this is a factor that lowers the material strength. In the He-irradiated parts in austenitic stainless steel, the precursory state of martensite transformation should exist, and its effect is considered to be observable by carrying out low temperature Moessbauer spectroscopy. As to the preparation of He-irradiation samples, the SUS 304 foils used and the irradiation conditions are described. The measurement of low temperature Moessbauer spectra for the samples without irradiation and with irradiation is reported. In order to determine the magnetic transition point, the thermal scanning measurement was carried out for the samples without or with irradiation. The martensite transformation was measured by X-ray diffraction and transmission type Moessbauer spectroscopy. In order to observe the state of the sample surfaces, the measurement by internal conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy was performed. These results and the temperature dependence of the Moessbauer spectra for the irradiated parts are reported. (K.I.)

Development of austenitic stainless steel PC wire and strand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsubono, Hideyoshi; Kawabata, Yoshinori; Yamaoka, Yukio

1986-01-01

The effects of aging and stress-aging (called hot stretching) at the temperatures from 120 deg C to 700 deg C on the mechanical properties, relaxation values, Charpy impact values and SCC behavior of hard drawn SUS 304, SUS 316 stainless steel wires have been studied. The main results obtained are as follows: (1) Yield and tensile strength of the wires increased by aging at 230 deg C and 530 deg C as well as by hot stretching. The strengthening after 230 deg C treatment may be due to the strain aging by C and the increase of strength after 530 deg C treatment results from precipitation of Cr 23 C 6 on dislocations. (2) Stress relaxation values up to 250 deg C are low due to precipitation of Cr 23 C 6 . Almost no difference can be observed between aging and hot stretching. (3) Impact value at -196 deg C of SUS 304 stainless steel wire which was measured with 1 mm V-notched specimen was found to be about the same as that of 9 % Ni steel. (4) It is considered that in comparison with high carbon PC wire SUS 304 stainless steel showing high tensile strength is insensitive to SCC in NH 4 SCN and NH 4 NO 3 solutions. (5) In practice, tension member of the austenitic stainless steel wire and strand which were produced by aging at 500 deg C may be useful in special industrial field, for example, (a) SUS 304, in cryogenic field use (b) SUS 316, in intensive magnetic field use as a nonmagnetic material. (author)

Effect of composition on corrosion resistance of high-alloy austenitic stainless steel weld metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, P.I.; Gooch, T.G.

1993-01-01

The corrosion resistance of stainless steel weld metal in the ranges of 17 to 28% chromium (Cr), 6 to 60% nickel (Ni), 0 to 9% molybdenum (Mo), and 0.0 to 0.37% nitrogen (N) was examined. Critical pitting temperatures were determined in ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ). Passive film breakdown potentials were assessed from potentiodynamic scans in 3% sodium chloride (NaCl) at 50 C. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests were carried out in 30% sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) ar 25 C, which was representative of chloride-free acid media of low redox potential. Metallographic examination and microanalysis were conducted on the test welds. Because of segregation of alloying elements, weld metal pitting resistance always was lower than that of matching composition base steel. The difference increased with higher Cr, Mo, and N contents. Segregation also reduced resistance to general corrosion in H 2 SO 4 , but the effect relative to the base steel was less marked than with chloride pitting. Segregation of Cr, Mo, and N in fully austenitic deposits decreased as the Ni' eq- Cr' eq ratio increased. Over the compositional range studied, weld metal pitting resistance was dependent mainly on Mo content and segregation. N had less effect than in wrought alloys. Both Mo and N enhanced weld metal corrosion resistance in H 2 SO 4

Ultra-large size austenitic stainless steel forgings for fast breeder reactor 'Monju'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukada, Hisashi; Suzuki, Komei; Sato, Ikuo; Miura, Ritsu.

1988-01-01

The large SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel forgings for the reactor vessel of the prototype FBR 'Monju' of 280 MWe output were successfully manufactured. The reactor vessel contains the heart of the reactor and sodium coolant at 530 deg C, and its inside diameter is about 7 m, and height is about 18 m. It is composed of 12 large forgings, that is, very thick flanges and shalls made by ring forging and an end plate made by disk forging and hot forming, using a special press machine. The manufacture of these large forgings utilized the results of the basic test on the material properties in high temperature environment and the effect that the manufacturing factors exert on the material properties and the results of the development of manufacturing techniques for superlarge forgings. The problems were the manufacturing techniques for the large ingots of 250 t class of high purity, the hot working techniques for stainless steel of fine grain size, the forging techniques for superlarge rings and disks, and the machining techniques of high precision for particularly large diameter, thin wall rings. The manufacture of these large stainless steel forgings is reported. (Kako, I.)

Swelling analysis of austenitic stainless steels by means of ion irradiation and kinetic modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohyama, Akira; Donomae, Takako

1999-03-01

The influences of irradiation environment on the swelling behavior of austenitic stainless steel has been studied, to aid understanding the origin of the difference in swelling response of PNC316 stainless steel in fuel-pin environment and in materials irradiation capsules, in terms of irradiation conditions, damage mechanism and material conditions. This work focused on the theoretical investigation of the influence of temperature variation on microstructural development of austenitic stainless steels during irradiation, using a kinetic rate theory model. A modeling and calculation on non-steady irradiation effects were first carried out. A fully dynamic model of point defect evolution and extended defect development, which accounts for cascade damage, was developed and successfully applied to simulate the interstitial loop evolution in low temperature regimes. The influence of cascade interstitial clustering on dislocation loop formation has also been assessed. The establishment of a basis for general assessment of non-steady irradiation effects in austenitic stainless steels was advanced. The developed model was applied to evaluate the influences of temperature variation in formerly carried out CMIR and FFTF/MFA-1 FBR irradiation experiments. The results suggested the gradual approach of microstructural features to equilibrium states in all the temperature variation conditions and no sign of anomalous behavior was noted. On the other hand, there is the influence of temperature variation on microstructural development under the neutron irradiation, like CMIR. So there are some possibilities of the work of mechanism which is not taken care on this model, for example the effect of the precipitate behavior which is sensitive to irradiation temperature. (author)

Grain boundary precipitation in an austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, A.R.; Howell, P.R.; Ralph, B.

The precipitation of second phase particles of niobium carbide in an austenitic stainless steel is shown to be considerably influenced by the degree of deformation introduced prior to the ageing treatment. Sites for the nucleation of second phase particles are identified and the importance of one type of nucleation site, extrinsic dislocations, to the evolution of the final boundary precipitate distributions is emphasized. Further, it is shown that the presence of a grain boundary can effect precipitation processes for some considerable distance into the matrix on either side of the boundary. (author)

'In-beam' simulation of high temperature helium embrittlement of DIN 1.4970 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, H.; Batfalsky, P.

1982-01-01

This work describes a facility for high temperature creep rupture tests during homogeneous helium implantation. This 'in-beam' creep testing facility is used to simulate helium embrittlement effects which will be very important for first wall materials of future fusion reactors operated at high temperatures. First results for DIN 1.4970 austenitic stainless steel clearly demonstrate differences between samples 'in-beam' tested at 1073 K and those creep tested at the same temperature after room temperature helium implantation. The specimens ruptured 'in-beam' have much shorter lifetimes and lower ductility than the specimens tested after room temperature implantation. There are also differences in the microstructures, concerning helium bubble sizes and densities in matrix and grain boundaries. These microstructural differences may be a key for the understanding of the more severe helium embrittlement effects 'in-beam' as compared to creep tests performed after room temperature implantation. (orig.)

Low temperature thermal ageing embrittlement of austenitic stainless steel welds and its electrochemical assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandra, K.; Kain, Vivekanand; Raja, V.S.; Tewari, R.; Dey, G.K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Embrittlement study of austenitic stainless steel welds after ageing up to 20,000 h. ► Spinodal decomposition and G-phase precipitation in ferrite at 400 °C. ► Spinodal decomposition of ferrite at 335 and 365 °C. ► Large decrease in corrosion resistance due to G-phase precipitation. ► Good correlation between electrochemical properties and the degree of embrittlement. - Abstract: The low temperature thermal ageing embrittlement of austenitic stainless steel welds is investigated after ageing up to 20,000 h at 335, 365 and 400 °C. Spinodal decomposition and G-phase precipitation after thermal ageing were identified by transmission electron microscopy. Ageing led to increase in hardness of the ferrite phase while there was no change in the hardness of austenite. The degree of embrittlement was evaluated by non-destructive methods, e.g., double-loop and single-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation tests. A good correlation was obtained between the electrochemical properties and hardening of the ferrite phase of the aged materials.

Austenitic stainless steel alloys having improved resistance to fast neutron-induced swelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, E.E.; Stiegler, J.O.; Rowcliffe, A.F.; Leitnaker, J.M.

1979-01-01

The present invention is based on the discovery that radiation-induced voids which occur during fast neutron irradiation can be controlled by small but effective additions of titanium and silicon. The void-suppressing effect of these metals in combination is demonstrated and particularly apparent in austenitic stainless steels

Studies on Fusion Welding of High Nitrogen Stainless Steel: Microstructure, Mechanical and corrosion Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Raffi; Srinivasa Rao, K.; Madhusudhan Reddy, G.

2018-03-01

An attempt has been made in the present investigation to weld high nitrogen steel of 5mm thick plates using various process i.e., shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and autogenous electron beam welding (EBW) process. Present work is aimed at studying the microstructural changes and its effects on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Microstructure is characterized by optical, scanning electron microscopy and electron back scattered diffraction technique. Vickers hardness, tensile properties, impact toughness and face bend ductility testing of the welds was carried out. Pitting corrosion resistance of welds was determined using potentio-dynamic polarization testing in 3.5%NaCl solution. Results of the present investigation established that SMA welds made using Cr-Mn-N electrode were observed to have a austenite dendritic grain structure in the weld metal and is having poor mechanical properties but good corrosion resistance. GTA welds made using 18Ni (MDN 250) filler wire were observed to have a reverted austenite in martensite matrix of the weld metal and formation of unmixed zone at the fusion boundary which resulted in better mechanical properties and poor corrosion resistance. Fine grains and uniform distribution of delta ferrite in the austenite matrix and narrow width of weld zone are observed in autogeneous electron beam welds. A good combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance was achieved for electron beam welds of high nitrogen steel when compared to SMA and GTA welds.

Five-parameter crystallographic characteristics of the interfaces formed during ferrite to austenite transformation in a duplex stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Haghdadi, N.; Cizek, P.; Hodgson, P. D.; Tari, V.; Rohrer, G. S.; Beladi, H.

2018-05-01

The crystallography of interfaces in a duplex stainless steel having an equiaxed microstructure produced through the ferrite to austenite diffusive phase transformation has been studied. The five-parameter interface character distribution revealed a high anisotropy in habit planes for the austenite-ferrite and austenite-austenite interfaces for different lattice misorientations. The austenite and ferrite habit planes largely terminated on (1 1 1) and (1 1 0) planes, respectively, for the austenite-ferrite interfaces associated with Kurdjumov-Sachs (K-S) and Nishiyama-Wasserman (N-W) orientation relationships. This was mostly attributed to the crystallographic preference associated with the phase transformation. For the austenite-ferrite interfaces with orientation relationships which are neither K-S nor N-W, both austenite and ferrite habit planes had (1 1 1) orientations. Σ3 twin boundaries comprised the majority of austenite-austenite interfaces, mostly showing a pure twist character and terminating on (1 1 1) planes due to the minimum energy configuration. The second highest populated austenite-austenite boundary was Σ9, which tended to have grain boundary planes in the tilt zone due to the geometrical constraints. Furthermore, the intervariant crystallographic plane distribution associated with the K-S orientation relationship displayed a general tendency for the austenite habit planes to terminate with the (1 1 1) orientation, mainly due to the crystallographic preference associated with the phase transformation.

In-situ investigation of strain-induced martensitic transformation kinetics in an austenitic stainless steel by inductive measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alonso de Celada Casero, C.; Kooiker, Harm; Groen, Manso; Post, J; San Martin, D

2017-01-01

An inductive sensor developed by Philips ATC has been used to study in-situ the austenite (γ) to martensite (α′) phase transformation kinetics during tensile testing in an AISI 301 austenitic stainless steel. A correlation between the sensor output signal and the volume fraction of α′-martensite

High-cycle fatigue behavior of ultrafine-grained austenitic stainless and TWIP steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamada, A.S. [Materials Engineering Laboratory (4KOMT), Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez Canal University, Box 43721, Suez (Egypt); Karjalainen, L.P., E-mail: pentti.karjalainen@oulu.fi [Materials Engineering Laboratory (4KOMT), Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland)

2010-08-20

High-cycle fatigue behavior of ultrafine-grained (UFG) 17Cr-7Ni Type 301LN austenitic stainless and high-Mn Fe-22Mn-0.6C TWIP steels were investigated in a reversed plane bending fatigue and compared to the behavior of steels with conventional coarse grain (CG) size. Optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine fatigue damage mechanisms. Testing showed that the fatigue limits leading to fatigue life beyond 4 x 10{sup 6} cycles were about 630 MPa for 301LN while being 560 MPa for TWIP steel, and being 0.59 and 0.5 of the tensile strength respectively. The CG counterparts were measured to have the fatigue limits of 350 and 400 MPa. The primary damage caused by fatigue took place by grain boundary cracking in UFG 301LN, while slip band cracking occurred in CG 301LN. However, in the case of TWIP steel, the fatigue damage mechanism is similar in spite of the grain size. In the course of cycling neither the formation of a martensite structure nor mechanical twinning occurs, but intense slip bands are created with extrusions and intrusions. Fatigue crack initiates preferentially on grain and twin boundaries, and especially in the intersection sites of slip bands and boundaries.

Repair welding of cracked steam turbine blades using austenitic and martensitic stainless-steel consumables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaduri, A.K.; Gill, T.P.S.; Albert, S.K.; Shanmugam, K.; Iyer, D.R.

2001-01-01

The procedure for repair welding of cracked steam turbine blades made of martensitic stainless steels has been developed using the gas tungsten arc welding process. Weld repair procedures were developed using both ER 316L austenitic and ER 410 martensitic stainless-steel filler wire. The overall development of the repair welding procedure included selection of welding consumables (for austenitic filler metal), optimisation of post-weld heat treatment parameters, selection of suitable method for local pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) of the blades, determination of mechanical properties of weldments in as-welded and PWHT conditions, and microsturctural examination. After various trials using different procedures, the procedure of local PWHT (and preheating when using martensitic stainless-steel filler wire) using electrical resistance heating on the top surface of the weldment and monitoring the temperature by placing a thermocouple at the bottom of the weld was found to give the most satisfactory results. These procedures have been developed and/or applied for repair welding of cracked blades in steam turbines

Effect of microstructure on the localized corrosion of Fe-Cr-Mn-N stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Young; Park, Yong Soo; Kim, Young Sik

1998-01-01

This paper dealt with the effect of microstructure on the localized corrosion of Fe-Cr-Mn-N stainless steels. The experimental alloys were made by vacuum induction melting and then hot rolled. The alloys were designed by controlling Cr eq /Ni eq ratio. Two alloys had austenitic phase and one alloy showed (austenite+ferrite) du-plex phase. High nitrogen addition in austenitic alloys stabilized the austenitic structure and then suppressed the formations of ferrite and α martensite, but martensite was formed in the case of large Cr eq /Ni eq ratio and low nitrogen addition. Pitting initiation site was grain boundary in austenitic alloys and was ferrite/austenite phase boundary in duplex alloy in the HCl solution. In sulfuric acids, austenitic alloys showed uniform corrosion, but ferrite phase was preferentially corroded in duplex alloy. The preferential dissolution seems to be related with the distribution of alloying elements between ferrite and austenite. Intergranular corrosion test showed that corrosion rate by immersion Huey test had a linear relation with degree of sensitization by EPR test

Void swelling behaviour of austenitic stainless steel during electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheng Zhongqi; Xiao Hong; Peng Feng; Ti Zhongxin

1994-04-01

The irradiation swelling behaviour of 00Cr17Ni14Mo2 austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L) was investigated by means of high voltage electron microscope. Results showed that in solution annealed condition almost no swelling incubation period existed, and the swelling shifted from the transition period to the steady-state one when the displacement damage was around 40 dpa. In cold rolled condition there was evidently incubation period, and when the displacement damage was up to 84 dpa the swelling still remained in the transition period. The average size and density of voids in both conditions were measured, and the factors, which influenced the void swelling, were discussed. (3 figs.)

Effect of triple ion beam irradiation on mechanical properties of high chromium austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ioka, Ikuo; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Nanjyo, Yoshiyasu; Kiuchi, Kiyoshi; Anegawa, Takefumi

2003-01-01

A high-chromium austenitic stainless steel has been developed for an advanced fuel cladding tube considering waterside corrosion and irradiation embrittlement. The candidate material was irradiated in triple ion (Ni, He, H) beam modes at 573 K up to 50 dpa to simulate irradiation damage by neutron and transmutation product. The change in hardness of the very shallow surface layer of the irradiated specimen was estimated from the slope of load/depth-depth curve which is in direct proportion to the apparent hardness of the specimen. Besides, the Swift's power low constitutive equation (σ=A(ε 0 + ε) n , A: strength coefficient, ε 0 : equivalent strain by cold rolling, n: strain hardening exponent) of the damaged parts was derived from the indentation test combined with an inverse analysis using a finite element method (FEM). For comparison, Type304 stainless steel was investigated as well. Though both Type304SS and candidate material were also hardened by ion irradiation, the increase in apparent hardness of the candidate material was smaller than that of Type304SS. The yield stress and uniform elongation were estimated from the calculated constitutive equation by FEM inverse analysis. The irradiation hardening of the candidate material by irradiation can be expected to be lower than that of Type304SS. (author)

The Effect of Constant and Pulsed Current Gas Tungsten Arc Welding on Joint Properties of 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel to 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Neissi, R.; Shamanian, M.; Hajihashemi, M.

2016-05-01

In this study, dissimilar 316L austenitic stainless steel/2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) joints were fabricated by constant and pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding process using ER2209 DSS as a filler metal. Microstructures and joint properties were characterized using optical and electron scanning microscopy, tensile, Charpy V-notch impact and micro-hardness tests, and cyclic polarization measurements. Microstructural observations confirmed the presence of chromium nitride and delta ferrite in the heat-affected zone of DSS and 316L, respectively. In addition, there was some deviation in the austenite/ferrite ratio of the surface welding pass in comparison to the root welding pass. Besides having lower pitting potential, welded joints produced by constant current gas tungsten arc welding process, consisted of some brittle sigma phase precipitates, which resulted in some impact energy reduction. The tensile tests showed high tensile strength for the weld joints in which all the specimens were broken in 316L base metal.

Austenitic stainless steel alloys having improved resistance to fast neutron-induced swelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, E.E.; Stiegler, J.O.; Rowcliffe, A.F.; Leitnaker, J.M.

1977-01-01

The present invention is based on the discovery that radiation-induced voids which occur during fast neutron irradiation can be controlled by small but effective additions of titanium and silicon. The void-suppressing effect of these metals in combination is demonstrated and particularly apparent in austenitic stainless steels. 3 figures, 3 tables

The carbide M7C3 in low-temperature-carburized austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernst, Frank; Li, Dingqiang; Kahn, Harold; Michal, Gary M.; Heuer, Arthur H.

2011-01-01

Prolonged low-temperature gas-phase carburization of AISI 316L-type austenitic stainless steel can cause intragranular precipitation of the carbide M 7 C 3 (M: randomly dispersed Fe, Cr, Ni). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the carbide particles have the shape of needles. They grow by a ledge-migration mechanism and in a crystallographic orientation relationship to the austenite matrix that enables highly coherent interphase interfaces. A small solubility limit of Ni in the carbide and restricted Ni diffusivity at the processing temperature leads to Ni pileup around the particles and may explain the extreme aspect ratio of the particle shape. These characteristics closely resemble what has been observed earlier for precipitates of M 5 C 2 under slightly different processing conditions and can be rationalized by considering the particular constraints imposed by carburization at low temperature.

Development of neural network models for the prediction of solidification mode, weld bead geometry and sensitisation in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasudevan, M.; Raj, B.; Prasad Rao, K.

2005-01-01

Quantitative models describing the effect of weld composition on the solidification mode, ferrite content and process parameters on the weld bead geometry are necessary in order to design composition of the welding consumable to ensure primary ferritic solidification mode, proper ferrite content and to ensure right choice of process parameters to achieve good bead geometry. A quantitative model on sensitisation behaviour of austenitic stainless steels is also necessary to optimise the composition of the austenitic stainless steel and to limit the strain on the material in order to enhance the resistance to sensitisation. The present paper discuss the development of quantitative models using artificial neural networks to correlate weld metal composition with solidification mode, process parameter with weld bead geometry and time for sensitisation with composition, strain in the material before welding and the temperature of exposure in austenitic stainless steels. (author)

Utilization of aluminum to obtaining a duplex type stainless steel using high energy ball milling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlak, I.E.; Cintho, O.M.; Capocchi, J.D.T.

2010-01-01

The obtaining of stainless steel using aluminum in its composition - FeMnAl system, has been researches subject since the sixties, by good mechanical properties and resistance to oxidation presented, when compared with conventional FeNiCr stainless steel system. In another point, the aluminum and manganese are low cost then traditional elements. This work, metallic powders of iron, manganese and pure aluminum, were processed in a Spex type high-energy ball mill in nitrogen atmosphere. The milling products were compressed into pastille form and sintered under inert atmosphere. The final products were characterized by optical and electronic microscopy and microhardness test. The metallographic analysis shows a typical austenite and ferrite duplex type microstructure. The presence of these phases was confirmed according X ray diffraction analysis. (author)

Weldability and microstructural analysis of nuclear-grade austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.H.

1988-01-01

This study evaluated the hot-ductility response, and hot-cracking susceptibility (fusion-zone solidification cracking and HAZ liquation cracking) of modified nuclear-grade and standard austenitic stainless steels. Extensive microstructural characterization using state-of-the-art analytical electron microscopy (TEM and STEM) as well as SEM (EDAX) and OLM was performed to correlate the material behavior with metallurgical characteristics. In addition, studies of the effect of Si, N, and rare earth elements on hot-cracking susceptibility, significance of the ductility dip phenomena and backfilled solidification cracks were also performed. Furthermore, based on the metallurgical evaluation, the possible mechanisms involved in solidification cracking and HAZ liquation cracking of the modified alloys are proposed. Finally, the optimized chemical specifications and requirements for nuclear-grade stainless steels are also suggested

Influence of Welding Strength Matching Coefficient and Cold Stretching on Welding Residual Stress in Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yaqing; Hui, Hu; Gong, Jianguo

2018-05-01

Austenitic stainless steel is widely used in pressure vessels for the storage and transportation of liquid gases such as liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, and liquid hydrogen. Cryogenic pressure vessel manufacturing uses cold stretching technology, which relies heavily on welding joint performance, to construct lightweight and thin-walled vessels. Residual stress from welding is a primary factor in cases of austenitic stainless steel pressure vessel failure. In this paper, on the basis of Visual Environment 10.0 finite element simulation technology, the residual stress resulting from different welding strength matching coefficients (0.8, 1, 1.2, 1.4) for two S30408 plates welded with three-pass butt welds is calculated according to thermal elastoplastic theory. In addition, the stress field was calculated under a loading as high as 410 MPa and after the load was released. Path 1 was set to analyze stress along the welding line, and path 2 was set to analyze stress normal to the welding line. The welding strength matching coefficient strongly affected both the longitudinal residual stress (center of path 1) and the transverse residual stress (both ends of path 1) after the welding was completed. However, the coefficient had little effect on the longitudinal and transverse residual stress of path 2. Under the loading of 410 MPa, the longitudinal and transverse stress decreased and the stress distribution, with different welding strength matching coefficients, was less diverse. After the load was released, longitudinal and transverse stress distribution for both path 1 and path 2 decreased to a low level. Cold stretching could reduce the effect of residual stress to various degrees. Transverse strain along the stretching direction was also taken into consideration. The experimental results validated the reliability of the partial simulation.

Fatigue damage evolution of cold-worked austenitic nickel-free high-nitrogen steel X13CrMnMoN18-14-3 (1.4452)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tikhovskiy, I.; Weiss, S.; Fischer, A. [Univ. of Duisburg-Essen, Materials Science and Engineering II, Duisburg (Germany)

2004-07-01

Due to the fact that the risk of Ni-allergies becomes more and more important for modern therapies, the necessity of Ni-free implant materials becomes increasingly important. Beside Co- and Ti-base alloys Ni-free high-nitrogen steels may offer an attractive alternative. The present work presents the austenitic high-nitrogen and nickel-free steel X13CrMnMoN18-14-3, (Material No.: 1.4452) after 20% cold-working. In addition this material was deformed under axial cyclic total strain controlled fatigue tests at room temperature. The development of dislocation structure due to different loading amplitudes was compared to none cyclically deformed material. The good mechanical und fatigue properties of these austenitic high-nitrogen steels as well as the better tribological, chemical and biological properties compared to CrNiMo-steels qualify these steels as a promising alternative in medical applications. (orig.)

Localized corrosion of high alloyed austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morach, R.; Schmuki, P.; Boehni, H.

1992-01-01

The susceptibility of several high alloyed stainless steels against localized corrosion was investigated by traditional potentiostatic and -kinetic methods and the current transient technique. Different test cells, proposed in literature, were evaluated for use in testing of plate materials. The AVESTA-cell showed to be not useful for potentiokinetic current density potential curves, but useable for pitting experiments. After pickling and prepassivation epoxy embedded materials proved to be resistant to crevice corrosion at the metal-resin interface. The electrode in form of a wire was the most reliable crevice free cell design. The grinding of the samples in the pretreatment procedure was found to have a large effect on the pitting corrosion behaviour. Using different paper types with varying grit, a drop in pitting potential for rougher surfaces and an increase in metastable pitting activity was found. Increasing surface roughness led also to changes in the electronic structure of the passive film reflected by a lower bandgap energy. High alloyed stainless steels showed no breakdown potential within the examined potential range. Compared to 18/8 type stainless steels significantly less transients were found. The number of transients decreases with increasing molybdenum and chromium content

Characteristic of Low Temperature Carburized Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Istiroyah; Pamungkas, M. A.; Saroja, G.; Ghufron, M.; Juwono, A. M.

2018-01-01

Low temperature carburizing process has been carried out on austenitic stainless steel (ASS) type AISI 316L, that contain chromium in above 12 at%. Therefore, conventional heat treatment processes that are usually carried out at high temperatures are not applicable. The sensitization process due to chromium migration from the grain boundary will lead to stress corrosion crack and decrease the corrosion resistance of the steel. In this study, the carburizing process was carried out at low temperatures below 500 °C. Surface morphology and mechanical properties of carburized specimens were investigated using optical microscopy, non destructive profilometer, and Vicker microhardness. The surface roughness analysis show the carburising process improves the roughness of ASS surface. This improvement is due to the adsorption of carbon atoms on the surface of the specimen. Likewise, the hardness test results indicate the carburising process increases the hardness of ASS.

On the grain boundary hardening in a B-bearing 304 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, X.X.

1999-01-01

The precipitates, (Cr,Fe) 23 (C,B) 6 carbides and (Cr,Fe) 2 B borides, formed along the grain boundaries in a 304 austenitic stainless steel containing boron of 33 ppm after solution treatment at 1100 C for 1 h followed by isothermal ageing for 0.5 h at temperatures ranging from 750 to 1050 C have been identified. The influence of these precipitates on the grain boundary hardening has been investigated by means of micro-Vickers hardness measurements. It is found that the degree of grain boundary hardening below 900 C decreases, while it increases above 900 C with increasing ageing temperature. The dissolution of (Cr,Fe) 23 (C,B) 6 carbides and the precipitation of (Cr,Fe) 2 B borides are associated with the changes of grain boundary hardening in this B-bearing 304 austenitic stainless steel between 750 and 1100 C. The non-equilibrium boron segregation enhances the grain boundary hardening when the ageing temperature is above 900 C. (orig.)

Fracture analysis procedure for cast austenitic stainless steel pipe with an axial crack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamaya, Masayuki

2012-01-01

Since the ductility of cast austenitic stainless steel pipes decreases due to thermal aging embrittlement after long term operation, not only plastic collapse failure but also unstable ductile crack propagation (elastic-plastic failure) should be taken into account for the structural integrity assessment of cracked pipes. In the fitness-for-service code of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), Z-factor is used to incorporate the reduction in failure load due to elastic-plastic failure. However, the JSME code does not provide the Z-factor for axial cracks. In this study, Z-factor for axial cracks in aged cast austenitic stainless steel pipes was derived. Then, a comparison was made for the elastic-plastic failure load obtained from different analysis procedures. It was shown that the obtained Z-factor could derive reasonable elastic-plastic failure loads, although the failure loads were more conservative than those obtained by the two-parameter method. (author)

Laser cladding of Colmonoy 6 powder on AISI316L austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.; Shi, Y.; Kutsuna, M.; Xu, G.J.

2010-01-01

Stainless steels are widely used in nuclear power plant due to their good corrosion resistance, but their wear resistance is relatively low. Therefore, it is very important to improve this property by surface treatment. This paper investigates cladding Colmonoy 6 powder on AISI316L austenitic stainless steel by CO 2 laser. It is found that preheating is necessary for preventing cracking in the laser cladding procedure and 450 o C is the proper preheating temperature. The effects of laser power, traveling speed, defocusing distance, powder feed rate on the bead height, bead width, penetration depth and dilution are investigated. The friction and wear test results show that the friction coefficient of specimens with laser cladding is lower than that of specimens without laser cladding, and the wear resistance of specimens has been increased 53 times after laser cladding, which reveals that laser cladding layer plays roles on wear resistance. The microstructures of laser cladding layer are composed of Ni-rich austenitic, boride and carbide.

Characterization of microstructures in austenitic stainless steels by ultrasonics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, Baldev; Palanichamy, P.; Jayakumar, T.; Kumar, Anish; Vasudevan, M.; Shankar, P.

2000-01-01

Recently, many nondestructive techniques have been considered for microstructural characterization of materials to enable in-situ component assessment for pre-service quality and in-service performance. Ultrasonic parameters have been used for estimation of average grain size, evaluation of recrystallization after cold working, and characterization of Cr2N precipitation during thermal aging in different grades of austenitic stainless steels. Ultrasonic first back wall echo signals were obtained from several specimens of AISI type 316 stainless steel with different grain sizes. Shift in the spectral peak frequency and the change in the full width at half maximum of the autopower spectrum of the first back wall echo are correlated with the grain size in the range 30-150 microns. The advantages of this method are: (i) independence of variation in couplant conditions (ii), applicable even to highly attenuating materials, (iii) direct correlation of the ultrasonic parameters with yield strength and (iv) suitability for shop-floor applications. Recrystallization behavior (temperature range 973-1173 K and time durations 0.5-1000 h) of cold worked titanium modified 316 stainless steel (D9) has been characterized using ultrasonic velocity measurements. A velocity parameter derived using a combination of shear and longitudinal wave velocities is correlated with the degree of recrystallization. These velocity measurement could also identify onset, progress and completion of recrystallization more accurately as compared to hardness and strength measurements. Ultrasonic velocity measurements were performed in thermally aged (at 1123 K for 10 to 2000 h) nuclear grade 316 LN stainless steel. Change in velocity due to thermal aging treatment could be used to reveal the formation of (i) Cr-N clusters associated with high lattice strains, (ii) coherent Cr2N precipitation, (iii) loss of coherency and (iv) growth of incoherent Cr2N precipitates. Microstructural characterization by

On the S-phase formation and the balanced plasma nitriding of austenitic-ferritic super duplex stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Willian R.; Kurelo, Bruna C. E. S.; Ditzel, Dair G.; Serbena, Francisco C.; Foerster, Carlos E.; de Souza, Gelson B.

2018-03-01

The different physical responses of austenite (γ) and ferrite (α) iron structures upon nitriding result in technical challenges to the uniform modification of α-γ materials, as the super duplex stainless steel (SDSS). The effects of voltage (7-10 kV), frequency and pulse width on the nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation of SDSS (α ∼ 56%, γ ∼ 44%) were investigated, correlated with structural, morphological and mechanical analyses. By controlling the treatment power, temperatures ranged from 292 °C to 401 °C. Despite the overall increase in hardness for any of the employed parameters (from ∼6 GPa to ∼15 GPa), the structure of individual grains was strikingly dissimilar at the same temperatures, depending on the energetic conditions of implantation. Modified-α grains containing iron nitrides (ε-Fe2-3N, γ‧ -Fe4N) presented intense brittleness, whereas the expanded phase γN (S-phase) laid principally in modified-γ grains, exhibiting ductile-like deformation features and thicker layers. The γN was the dominant phase in both α-γ grains at ∼401 °C, providing them with balanced structure and mechanical behavior. These phenomena corroborate with γN as mediator of the process, through a mechanism involving the nitrogen-promoted ferrite to austenite conversion and nitrides dissolution at high temperatures. An approximately linear correlation of the γN content with respect to the ion energy per pulse was demonstrated, which properly embodies limiting effects to the treatment. This can be a parameter for the α-γ steel surface modification, consisting in a better adjustment to obtain more precise control along with temperature.

Influence of Plastic Deformation on Low Temperature Surface Hardening of Austenitic Stainless Steel by Gaseous Nitriding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bottoli, Federico; Winther, Grethe; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin

2015-01-01

This article addresses an investigation of the influence of plastic deformation on low temperature surface hardening by gaseous nitriding of two commercial austenitic stainless steels: AISI 304 and EN 1.4369. The materials were plastically deformed to different equivalent strains by uniaxial...... demonstrate that a case of expanded austenite develops and that, in particular, strain-induced martensite has a large influence on the nitrided zone....

Hardness analysis of welded joints of austenitic and duplex stainless steels

Science.gov (United States)

Topolska, S.

2016-08-01

Stainless steels are widely used in the modern world. The continuous increase in the use of stainless steels is caused by getting greater requirements relating the corrosion resistance of all types of devices. The main property of these steels is the ability to overlap a passive layer of an oxide on their surface. This layer causes that they become resistant to oxidation. One of types of corrosion-resistant steels is ferritic-austenitic steel of the duplex type, which has good strength properties. It is easily formable and weldable as well as resistant to erosion and abrasive wear. It has a low susceptibility to stress-corrosion cracking, to stress corrosion, to intercrystalline one, to pitting one and to crevice one. For these reasons they are used, among others, in the construction of devices and facilities designed for chemicals transportation and for petroleum and natural gas extraction. The paper presents the results which shows that the particular specimens of the ][joint representing both heat affected zones (from the side of the 2205 steel and the 316L one) and the weld are characterized by higher hardness values than in the case of the same specimens for the 2Y joint. Probably this is caused by machining of edges of the sections of metal sheets before the welding process, which came to better mixing of native materials and the filler metal. After submerged arc welding the 2205 steel still retains the diphase, austenitic-ferritic structure and the 316L steel retains the austenitic structure with sparse bands of ferrite σ.

Modeling of Ni Diffusion Induced Austenite Formation in Ferritic Stainless Steel Interconnects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Ming; Molin, Sebastian; Zhang, L.

2015-01-01

Ferritic stainless steel interconnect plates are widely used in planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) or electrolysis cell (SOEC) stacks. During stack production and operation, nickel from the Ni/YSZ fuel electrode or from the Ni contact component diffuses into the IC plate, causing transformation...... of the ferritic phase into an austenitic phase in the interface region. This is accompanied with changes in volume and in mechanical and corrosion properties of the IC plates. In this work, kinetic modeling of the inter-diffusion between Ni and FeCr based ferritic stainless steel was conducted, using the CALPHAD...

Stable and unstable fatigue crack propagation during high temperature creep-fatigue in austenitic steels: the role of precipitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, G.J.; Wareing, J.

1979-01-01

The distinction between stable and unstable fatigue crack propagation during high temperature creep-fatigue in austenitic stainless steels is introduced. The transition from one class of behavior to the other is related to the precipitate distribution and to the nature of the prevailing crack path. It is shown by reference to new studies and examples drawn from the literature that this behavior is common to both high strain and predominantly elastic fatigue in austenitic stainless steels. The relevance of this distinction to a mechanistic approach to high temperature plant design is discussed

Progress in EPRI-programs on the inspection of cast austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dau, G; Behravesh, M; Amirato, P; Stone, R [Electric Power Research Inst., Charlotte, NC (United States). Nondestructive Evaluation Center

1988-12-31

This document presents the progress in EPRI programs on in-service inspection of Cast austenitic Stainless Steel (CSS). The CSS examination strategy is presented, together with results concerning thermal fatigue cracks and mechanical fatigue cracks. A statistical analysis method is provided, in order to estimate the crack detectability and the false call (a non-crack called crack). (TEC).

Integrity of austenitic stainless steel piping welds for nuclear service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canalini, A.; Lopes, L.R.

1983-01-01

A criterion applying K 1d concept was developed to determine the fracture mechanics properties of austenitic stainless steel nuclear piping welds. The critical dimensions, lenght and depth, for crack initiation were established and plotted in a chart. This study enables the dimensions of a discontinuity detected in an in-service inspection to be compared to the critical dimensions for crack initiation, and the indication can be judged critical or non-critical for the component. (author) [pt

Depth distribution analysis of Martensitic transformations in Xe implanted austenitic stainless steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnson, E.; Gerritsen, E.; Chechenin, N.G.

1989-01-01

In recent years the implantation of noble gases in metals has been found to induce some exciting phenomena such as formation of inclusions containing solid gas at extremely high pressures. In stainless steels these inclusions are the origin of a stress-induced martensitic fcc → bcc phase...... transformation in the implanted layer. In this work we present results from a depth distribution analysis of the martensitic phase change occurring in Xe implanted single crystals of austenitic stainless steel. Analysis was done by in situ RBS/channeling analysis, X-ray diffraction and cross-section transmission...... electron microscopy (XTEM) of the implanted surface. It is found that the martensitic transformation of the surface layer occurs for fluences above 1 × 1020 m−2. The thickness of the transformed layer increases with fluence to ≈ 150 nm at 1 × 10 21 m−2, which far exceeds the range plus straggling...

The Investigation on Strain Strengthening Induced Martensitic Phase Transformation of Austenitic Stainless Steel: A Fundamental Research for the Quality Evaluation of Strain Strengthened Pressure Vessel

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Cai Ren, Fa; Tang, Xiao Ying

2018-03-01

The manufacture of pressure vessels with austenitic stainless steel strain strengthening technology has become an important technical means for the light weight of cryogenic pressure vessels. In the process of increasing the strength of austenitic stainless steel, strain can induce the martensitic phase transformation in austenite phase. There is a quantitative relationship between the transformation quantity of martensitic phase and the basic mechanical properties. Then, the martensitic phase variables can be obtained by means of detection, and the mechanical properties and safety performance are evaluated and calculated. Based on this, the quantitative relationship between strain hardening and deformation induced martensite phase content is studied in this paper, and the mechanism of deformation induced martensitic transformation of austenitic stainless steel is detailed.

Nitrogen diffusion and nitrogen depth profiles in expanded austenite: experimental assessment, numerical simulation and role of stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas; Dahl, Kristian Vinter; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2008-01-01

during gaseous nitriding, a qualitative discussion of the role of stress on local equilibrium conditions of growing expanded austenite and a discussion of the erroneous concentration dependent diffusivity of nitrogen in expanded austenite as obtained from applying the Boltzmann-Matano method...

High cycle fatigue of austenitic stainless steels under random loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthier, J.P.; Petrequin, P.

1987-08-01

To investigate reactor components, load control random fatigue tests were performed at 300 0 C and 550 0 C, on specimens from austenitic stainless steels plates in the transverse orientation. Random solicitations are produced on closed loop servo-hydraulic machines by a mini computer which generates random load sequence by the use of reduced Markovian matrix. The method has the advantage of taking into account the mean load for each cycle. The solicitations generated are those of a stationary gaussian process. Fatigue tests have been mainly performed in the endurance region of fatigue curve, with scattering determination using stair case method. Experimental results have been analysed aiming at determining design curves for components calculations, depending on irregularity factor and temperature. Analysis in term of mean square root fatigue limit calculation, shows that random loading gives more damage than constant amplitude loading. Damage calculations following Miner rule have been made using the probability density function for the case where the irregularity factor is nearest to 100 %. The Miner rule is too conservative for our results. A method using design curves including random loading effects with irregularity factor as an indexing parameter is proposed

Sensitivity of the magnetization curves of different austenitic stainless tube and pipe steels to mechanical fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niffenegger, M.; Leber, H.J.

2008-01-01

In meta-stable austenitic stainless steels, fatigue is accompanied by a partial strain-induced transformation of paramagnetic austenite to ferromagnetic martensite [G.B. Olsen, M. Cohen, Kinetics of strain induced martensite nucleation, Metall. Trans. 6 (1975) 791-795]. The associated changes of magnetic properties as the eddy current impedance, magnetic permeability or the remanence field may serve as an indication for the degree of fatigue and therefore the remaining lifetime of a component, even though the exact causal relationship between martensite formation and fatigue is not fully understood. However, measuring these properties by magnetic methods may be limited by the low affinity for strain-induced martensite formation. Thus other methods have to be found which are able to detect very small changes of ferromagnetic contents. With this aim the influence of cyclic strain loading on the magnetization curves of the austenitic stainless tube and pipe steels TP 321, 347, 304L and 316L is analysed in the present paper. The measured characteristic magnetic properties, which are the saturation magnetization, residual magnetization, coercive field and the field dependent permeability (AC-magnetization), are sensitive to fatigue and the corresponding material changes (martensitic transformation). In particular, the AC-magnetization was found to be very sensitive to small changes of the amount of strain induced martensite and therefore also to the degree of fatigue. Hence we conclude that applying magnetic minor loops are promising for the non-destructive evaluation of fatigue in austenitic stainless steel, even if a very small amount of strain induced martensite is formed

Behaviour of glass and thermal protective coatings on stainless steels in the nitrogen tetroxide based coolant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakalin, Yu.I.; Dobrunova, V.M.; Doroshkevich, V.N.; Nesterenko, V.B.; Trubnikov, V.P.

1985-01-01

The technology of application of glass and enamel protective coatings on stainless steel has been examined, their testing in the medium of nitrogen tetroxide based coolant with different content of nitric acid has been carried out, the basic characteristics of the coatings after testing have been defined. Chromium-nickel austenitic 12kh18n10t steel, widely used in the nuclear power, have been chosen as a basic object of examination. The coatings have been tested in nitrogen oxide at P=12.0 MPa, temperature 310 deg C and 0.1% HNO 3 , and also in the medium of vat residue of the rectifying tower with nitric acid content up to 25 mass %. Tests of the coatings have demonstrated their sufficiently high stability, especially of those based on enamels A-20 and BK-5. These coatings are characterised by satisfactory performance and can be used for corrosion protection of the materials used in nuclear power

In Situ Techniques for the Investigation of the Kinetics of Austenitization of Supermartensitic Stainless Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nießen, Frank; Villa, Matteo; Apel, Daniel

2016-01-01

The austenitization and inter-critical annealing of X4CrNiMo16-5-1 (1.4418) supermartensitic stainless steel were investigated in-situ with synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), dilatometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under isochronal heating conditions. Austenitization occurred...... of surface martensite formation on the XRD measurement. The applicable temperature range for DSC as well as the close proximity of the Ac1- and the Curietemperature limited the usage of the technique in the present case....

The characteristics creep fracture of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteiro, S.N.; Assis, A.M.C.A.

1977-05-01

The characteristics of fracture on creep of two AISI type 316 austenitic stainless steels tested at constant load from 600 to 800 0 C were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The morphological aspects of the fracture were analysed and correllated to the ductility level attained in creep. A marked change from intergranular to transgranular type of fracture was observed in going from 600 to 800 0 C. At 800 0 C on the other hand, the condition for crack nucleation at sigma phase as well as the special conditions of oxidation, are apparently responsible for that same change with the applied stress. (Author) [pt

Study of the Sensitization on the Grain Boundary in Austenitic Stainless Steel Aisi 316

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kocsisová Edina

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Intergranular corrosion (IGC is one of the major problems in austenitic stainless steels. This type of corrosion is caused by precipitation of secondary phases on grain boundaries (GB. Precipitation of the secondary phases can lead to formation of chromium depleted zones in the vicinity of grain boundaries. Mount of the sensitization of material is characterized by the degree of sensitization (DOS. Austenitic stainless steel AISI 316 as experimental material had been chosen. The samples for the study of sensitization were solution annealed on 1100 °C for 60 min followed by water quenching and then sensitization by isothermal annealing on 700 °C and 650 °C with holding time from 15 to 600 min. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM was used for identification of secondary phases. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD was applied for characterization of grain boundary structure as one of the factors which influences on DOS.

Characterization of the dissimilar welding - austenitic stainless steel with filler metal of the nickel alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Bruno Amorim; Schvartzman, Monica Maria de Abreu Mendonca; Campos, Wagner Reis da Costa

2007-01-01

In elevated temperature environments, austenitic stainless steel and nickel alloy has a superior corrosion resistance due to its high Cr content. Consequently, this alloys is widely used in nuclear reactors components and others plants of energy generation that burn fossil fuel or gas, chemical and petrochemical industries. The object of the present work was to research the welding of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel using the nickel alloy filler metals, Inconel 625. Gas tungsten arc welding, mechanical and metallographic tests, and compositional analysis of the joint were used. A fundamental investigation was undertaken to characterize fusion boundary microstructure and to better understand the nature and character of boundaries that are associated with cracking in dissimilar welds. The results indicate that the microstructure of the fusion zone has a dendritic structure, inclusions, and precipitated phases containing Ti and Nb are present in the inter-dendritic region. In some parts near to the fusion line it can be seen a band in the weld, probably a eutectic phase with lower melting point than the AISI 304, were the cracking may be beginning by stress corrosion. (author)

Equi-biaxial loading effect on austenitic stainless steel fatigue life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Gourdin

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Fatigue lifetime assessment is essential in the design of structures. Under-estimated predictions may result in unnecessary in service inspections. Conversely, over-estimated predictions may have serious consequences on the integrity of structures. In some nuclear power plant components, the fatigue loading may be equibiaxial because of thermal fatigue. So the potential impact of multiaxial loading on the fatigue life of components is a major concern. Meanwhile, few experimental data are available on austenitic stainless steels. It is essential to improve the fatigue assessment methodologies to take into account the potential equi-biaxial fatigue damage. Hence this requires obtaining experimental data on the considered material with a strain tensor in equibiaxial tension. Two calibration tests (with strain gauges and image correlation were used to obtain the relationship between the imposed deflection and the radial strain on the FABIME2 specimen. A numerical study has confirmed this relationship. Biaxial fatigue tests are carried out on two austenitic stainless steels for different values of the maximum deflection, and with a load ratio equal to -1. The interpretation of the experimental results requires the use of an appropriate definition of strain equivalent. In nuclear industry, two kinds of definition are used: von Mises and TRESCA strain equivalent. These results have permitted to estimate the impact of the equibiaxiality on the fatigue life of components

Overview of microstructural evolution in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maziasz, P.J.

1993-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels are important structural materials common to several different reactor systems, including light water and fast breeder fission, and magnetic fusion reactors (LWR, FBR, and MFR, respectively). The microstructures that develop in 300 series austenitic stainless steels during neutron irradiation at 60-700 C include combinations of dislocation loops and networks, bubbles and voids, and various kinds of precipitate phases (radiation-induced, or -enhanced or -modified thermal phases). Many property changes in these steels during neutron irradiation are directly or indirectly related to radiation-induced microstructural evolution. Even more important is the fact that radiation-resistance of such steels during either FBR or MFR irradiation is directly related to control of the evolving microstructure during such irradiation. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the large and complex body of data accumulated from various fission reactor irradiation experiments conducted over the many years of research on microstructural evolution in this family of steels. The data can be organized into several different temperature regimes which then define the nature of the dominant microstructural components and their sensitivities to irradiation parameters (dose, helium/dpa ratio, dose rate) or metallurgical variables (alloy composition, pretreatment). The emphasis in this paper will be on the underlying mechanisms driving the microstructure to evolve during irradiation or those enabling microstructural stability related to radiation resistance. (orig.)

A macroscopic model to simulate the mechanically induced martensitic transformation in metastable austenitic stainless steels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perdahcioglu, Emin Semih; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.

2012-01-01

Mechanically induced martensitic transformation and the associated transformation plasticity phenomena in austenitic stainless steels are studied. The mechanisms responsible for the transformation are investigated and put into perspective based on experimental evidence. The stress and strain

Effect of Austenitic and Austeno-Ferritic Electrodes on 2205 Duplex and 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel Dissimilar Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Jagesvar; Taiwade, Ravindra V.

2016-11-01

This study addresses the effect of different types of austenitic and austeno-ferritic electrodes (E309L, E309LMo and E2209) on the relationship between weldability, microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of shielded metal arc welded duplex/austenitic (2205/316L) stainless steel dissimilar joints using the combined techniques of optical, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectrometer and electrochemical. The results indicated that the change in electrode composition led to microstructural variations in the welds with the development of different complex phases such as vermicular ferrite, lathy ferrite, widmanstatten and intragranular austenite. Mechanical properties of welded joints were diverged based on compositions and solidification modes; it was observed that ferritic mode solidified weld dominated property wise. However, the pitting corrosion resistance of all welds showed different behavior in chloride solution; moreover, weld with E2209 was superior, whereas E309L exhibited lower resistance. Higher degree of sensitization was observed in E2209 weld, while lesser in E309L weld. Optimum ferrite content was achieved in all welds.

Characterization of the martensite phase formed during hydrogen ion irradiation in austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hyung-Ha; Lim, Sangyeob; Kwon, Junhyun

2017-10-01

Microstructural changes in austenitic stainless steel caused by hydrogen ion irradiation were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It has been confirmed that the irradiation induced the formation of martensite along the grain boundary; the martensite phase exhibited a crystal orientation relationship with the adjacent austenite phase. The results of this study also indicate that the concentration of Cr in the martensite phase is lower compared to that in the austenite matrix. The TEM results showed the development of asymmetric radiation-induced segregation (RIS) near the grain boundary, which leads to local changes in the chemical composition such as reduction of Cr near the grain boundary. The asymmetric RIS serves as a prerequisite for the formation of the martensite under hydrogen irradiation.

Ultrasonic inspectability of austenitic stainless steel and dissimilar metal weld joints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pudovikov, S.; Bulavinov, A.; Kroening, M. [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Zerstoerungsfreie Pruefverfahren IZFP, Saarbruecken (Germany)

2008-07-01

Since their invention in 1912, austenitic stainless steel materials are widely used in a variety of industry sectors. In particular, austenitic stainless steel material is qualified to meet the design criteria of high quality, safety related applications, for example, the primary loop of the most of the nuclear power plants in the world, due to high durability and corrosion resistance. Certain operating conditions may cause a range of changes in the integrity of the component, and therefore require nondestructive testing at reasonable intervals. These in-service inspections are often performed using ultrasonic techniques, in particular when cracking is of specific concern. However, the coarse, dendritic grain structure of the weld material, formed during the welding process, is extreme and unpredictably anisotropic. Such structure is no longer direction-independent to the ultrasonic wave propagation; therefore, the ultrasonic beam deflects and redirects and the wave front becomes distorted. Thus, the use of conventional ultrasonic testing techniques using fixed beam angles is very limited and the application of ultrasonic Phased Array techniques becomes desirable. The ''Sampling Phased Array'' technique, invented and developed by Fraunhofer IZFP, allows the acquisition of time signals (A-scans) for each individual transducer element of the array along with image reconstruction techniques using ''SynFoc'' algorithms. The reconstruction considers the sound propagation from each image pixel to the individual sensor element. For anisotropic media, where the sound beam is deflected and the sound path is not known a-priory, we implement a new phase adjustment called ''Reverse Phase Matching'' technique. This algorithm permits the acquisition of phase-corrected A-scans that represent the actual sound propagation in the anisotropic structure; this technique can be utilized for image reconstruction. (orig.)

Aging and Embrittlement of High Fluence Stainless Steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Was, gary; Jiao, Zhijie; der ven, Anton Van; Bruemmer, Stephen; Edwards, Dan

2012-12-31

Irradiation of austenitic stainless steels results in the formation of dislocation loops, stacking fault tetrahedral, Ni-Si clusters and radiation-induced segregation (RIS). Of these features, it is the formation of precipitates which is most likely to impact the mechanical integrity at high dose. Unlike dislocation loops and RIS, precipitates exhibit an incubation period that can extend from 10 to 46 dpa, above which the cluster composition changes and a separate phase, (G-phase) forms. Both neutron and heavy ion irradiation showed that these clusters develop slowly and continue to evolve beyond 100 dpa. Overall, this work shows that the irradiated microstructure features produced by heavy ion irradiation are remarkably comparable in nature to those produced by neutron irradiation at much lower dose rates. The use of a temperature shift to account for the higher damage rate in heavy ion irradiation results in a fairly good match in the dislocation loop microstructure and the precipitate microstructure in austenitic stainless steels. Both irradiations also show segregation of the same elements and in the same directions, but to achieve comparable magnitudes, heavy ion irradiation must be conducted at a much higher temperature than that which produces a match with loops and precipitates. First-principles modeling has confirmed that the formation of Ni-Si precipitates under irradiation is likely caused by supersaturation of solute to defect sinks caused by highly correlated diffusion of Ni and Si. Thus, the formation and evolution of Ni-Si precipitates at high dose in austenitic stainless steels containing Si is inevitable.

Stainless austenitic steels strengthened due to reversible phase transformations and by ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagaradze, V.V.; Kositsyna, I.I.; Ozhiganov, A.V.

1981-01-01

The effect of the reversible phase transformations, consisting in the conduction of the direct and reverse martensite transformations and aging, during which the intermetallide γ'-phase of the composition Ni 3 Ti is formed, on the streng-thening of alloys in the Fe-Cr-Ni-Ti system is considered. Stainless austenitic steels Kh12N12T3 and Kh12N14T3, which acquire high mechanical properties: σsub(0.2)=685-785 MPa, σsub(B)=1275 MPa, delta >= 20%, as a result of reversible phase transformations and aging, are suggested. After the reversible phase transformations and ageing the steels possess a high resistance to γ-α-transformation during cold treatment [ru

Prediction of Irradiation Damage by Artificial Neural Network for Austenitic Stainless Steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Sam; Kim, Dae Whan; Hwang, Seong Sik

2007-01-01

The internal structures of pressurized water reactors (PWR) located close to the reactor core are used to support the fuel assemblies, to maintain the alignment between assemblies and the control bars and to canalize the primary water. In general these internal structures consist of baffle plates in solution annealed (SA) 304 stainless steel and baffle bolts in cold worked (CW) 316 stainless steel. These components undergo a large neutron flux at temperatures between 280 and 380 .deg. C. Well-controlled irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) data from properly irradiated, and properly characterized, materials are sorely lacking due to the experimental difficulties and financial limitations related to working with highly activated materials. In this work, we tried to apply the artificial neural network (ANN) approach, predicted the susceptibility to an IASCC for an austenitic stainless steel SA 304 and CW 316. G.S. Was and J.-P. Massoud experimental data are used. Because there is fewer experimental data, we need to prediction for radiation damage under the internal structure of PWR. Besides, we compared experimental data with prediction data by the artificial neural network

Improved austenitic stainless steel for high temperature applications. [Improved stress-rupture properties

Science.gov (United States)

Not Available

This invention describes a composition for an austenitic stainless steel which has been found to exhibit improved high temperature stress rupture properties. The composition of this alloy is about (in wt. %): 12.5 to 14.5 Cr; 14.5 to 16.5 Ni; 1.5 to 2.5 Mo; 1.5 to 2.5 Mn; 0.1 to 0.4 Ti; 0.02 to 0.08 C; 0.5 to 1.0 Si; 0.01 maximum, N; 0.02 to 0.08 P; 0.002 to 0.008 B; 0.004-0.010 S; 0.02-0.05 Nb; .01-.05 V; 0.005-0.02 Ta; 0.02-0.05 Al; 0.01-0.04 Cu; 0.02-0.05 Co; .03 maximum, As; 0.01 maximum, 0; 0.01 maximum, Zr; and with the balance of the alloy being essentially iron. The carbon content of the alloy is adjusted such that wt. % Ti/(wt. % C+wt. % N) is between 4 and 6, and most preferably about 5. In addition the sum of the wt. % P + wt. % B + wt. % S is at least 0.03 wt. %. This alloy is believed to be particularly well suited for use as fast breeder reactor fuel element cladding.

Modelling the X-ray powder diffraction of nitrogen-expanded austenite using the Debye formula

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oddershede, Jette; Christiansen, Thomas; Ståhl, Kenny

2008-01-01

Stress-free and homogeneous samples of nitrogen-expanded austenite, a defect-rich f.c.c. structure with a high interstitial nitrogen occupancy (between 0.36 and 0.61), have been studied using X-ray powder diffraction and Debye simulations. The simulations confirm the presence of deformation...... to be indistinguishable to X-ray powder diffraction....

Shallow-Land Buriable PCA-type austenitic stainless steel for fusion application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zucchetti, M.

1991-01-01

Neutron-induced activity in the PCA (Primary Candidate Alloy) austenitic stainless steel is examined, when used for first-wall components in a DEMO fusion reactor. Some low-activity definitions, based on different waste management and disposal concepts, are introduced. Activity in the PCA is so high that any recycling of the irradiated material can be excluded. Disposal of PCA radioactive wastes in Shallow-Land Buriable (SLB) is prevented as well. Mo, Nb and some impurity elements have to be removed or limited, in order to reduce the radioactivity of the PCA. Possible low-activity versions of the PCA are introduced (PCA-la); they meet the requirements for SLB and may also be recycled under certain conditions. (author)

Correlation between Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior and Fracture Surface Roughness on Cold-Rolled Austenitic Stainless Steels in Gaseous Hydrogen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai-Cheng Chen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Austenitic stainless steels are often considered candidate materials for use in hydrogen-containing environments because of their low hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. In this study, the fatigue crack growth behavior of the solution-annealed and cold-rolled 301, 304L, and 310S austenitic stainless steels was characterized in 0.2 MPa gaseous hydrogen to evaluate the hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth and correlate the fatigue crack growth rates with the fracture feature or fracture surface roughness. Regardless of the testing conditions, higher fracture surface roughness could be obtained in a higher stress intensity factor (∆K range and for the counterpart cold-rolled specimen in hydrogen. The accelerated fatigue crack growth of 301 and 304L in hydrogen was accompanied by high fracture surface roughness and was associated with strain-induced martensitic transformation in the plastic zone ahead of the fatigue crack tip.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of annealed SUS 304H austenitic stainless steel with copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sen, Indrani [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Amankwah, E. [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Department of Materials Science, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (Nigeria); Kumar, N.S. [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Fleury, E. [Center for High Temperature Energy Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Oh-ishi, K.; Hono, K. [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Ramamurty, U., E-mail: ramu@materials.iisc.ernet.in [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India)

2011-05-25

Research highlights: {yields} SUS 304H austenitic stainless steel containing 3 wt.% Cu was annealed at 700 deg. C for up to 100 h. {yields} Microstructure and mechanical properties of annealed alloys are examined. {yields} Nano-sized Cu-rich precipitation upon annealing. {yields} Strength of the alloy remains invariant with annealing whereas ductility improves. {yields} Fatigue crack growth threshold of 3 wt.% Cu added alloy increases with annealing. - Abstract: An experimental investigation into the effect of Cu on the mechanical properties of 0 and 3 wt.% Cu added SUS 304H austenitic stainless steel upon annealing at 700 deg. C for up to 100 h was conducted. Optical microscopy reveals grain coarsening in both the alloys upon annealing. Observations by transmission electron microscopy revealed the precipitation of nanometer-sized spherical Cu particles distributed within the austenitic grains and the presence of carbides at the dislocations. Both the yield and ultimate tensile strengths of the alloys were found to remain invariant with annealing. Tensile ductility and the threshold stress intensity factor range for fatigue crack growth for 3 wt.% Cu added alloy increase with annealing. These are attributed to the grain coarsening with annealing. In all, the addition of Cu to SUS 304H does not affect the mechanical performance adversely while improving creep resistance.

Tailoring plasticity of austenitic stainless steels for nuclear applications: Review of mechanisms controlling plasticity of austenitic steels below 400 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Meric de Bellefon, G.; van Duysen, J. C.

2016-07-01

AISI 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels were invented in the early 1900s and are still trusted by materials and mechanical engineers in numerous sectors because of their good combination of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance, and thanks to decades of experience and data. This article is part of an effort focusing on tailoring the plasticity of both types of steels to nuclear applications. It provides a synthetic and comprehensive review of the plasticity mechanisms in austenitic steels during tensile tests below 400 °C. In particular, formation of twins, extended stacking faults, and martensite, as well as irradiation effects and grain rotation are discussed in details.

Effect of carbide precipitates on high temperature creep of a 20Cr-25Ni austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamane, T.; Takahashi, Y.; Nakagawa, K.

1984-01-01

The high temperature creep of an austenitic stainless steel having carbide precipitates, is different from that of the carbide precipitate-free one. Strain rates of the steady state creep d(epsilonsub(s))/dt, or minimum strain rates of the creep in precipitate hardened and dispersion strengthened alloys at the creep temperature T, can be expressed by Sherby-Dorn's equation d(epsilonsub(s))/dt = Aσsup(n) exp (-Qsub(c)/RT). The stress exponent n, and the activation energy for creep Qsub(c), in a power law creep region, are more than those of unstrengthened alloys, where σ is the creep stress, R the gas constant and A the constant. In this research, the influence of carbide precipitates on steady creep rates, is investigated. Experimental details are given. Results are given and discussed. (author)

Low temperature sensitization of austenitic stainless steel: an ageing effect during BWR service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, B.K.; Sinha, A.K.; Rastogi, P.K.; Kulkarni, P.G.

1994-01-01

Sensitization in austenitic stainless steel refers to chromium carbide precipitation at the grain boundaries with concomitant depletion of chromium below 12% near grain boundaries. This makes the material susceptible to either intergranular corrosion (IGC) or intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). This effect is predominant whenever austenitic stainless steel is subjected to thermal exposure in the temperature range 723-1073K either during welding or during heat treatment. Low temperature sensitization (LTS) refers to sensitization at temperature below the typical range of sensitization i.e. 723-1073K. A prerequisite for LTS phenomenon is reported to be the presence of chromium carbide nuclei at the grain boundaries which can grow during boiling water reactor service even at a relatively lower temperature of around 560K. LTS can lead to failure of BWR pipe due to IGSCC. The paper reviews the phenomenological and mechanistic aspects of LTS. Studies carried out regarding effect of prior cold work on LTS are reported. Summary of the studies reported in literature to examine the occurrence of LTS during BWR service has also been included. (author). 10 refs., 3 figs

SCC of cold-worked austenitic stainless steels exposed to PWR primary water conditions: susceptibility to initiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herms, E.; Raquet, O.; Sejourne, L.; Vaillant, F.

2009-01-01

Heavily cold-worked austenitic stainless steels (AISI 304L and 316L types) could be significantly susceptible to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) when exposed to PWR nominal primary water conditions even in absence of any pollutants. Susceptibility to SCC was shown to be related with some conditions such as initial hardness, procedure of cold-work or dynamic straining. A dedicated program devoted to better understand the initiation stage on CW austenitic stainless steels in PWR water is presented. Initiation is studied thanks to SCC test conditions leading to an intergranular cracking propagation mode on a CW austenitic stainless steel which is the mode generally reported after field experience. SCC tests are carried out in typical primary water conditions (composition 1000 ppm B and 2 ppm Li) and for temperature in the range 290 - 340 C. Material selected is 316L cold-worked essentially by rolling (reduction in thickness of 40%). Initiation tests are carried out under various stress levels with the aim to investigate the evolution of the initiation period versus the value of applied stress. SCC tests are performed on cylindrical notched specimens in order to increase the applied stress and allow accelerated testing without modify the exposure conditions to strictly nominal hydrogenated PWR water. Respective influences of cyclic/dynamic conditions on SCC initiation are presented and discussed. Dedicated interrupted tests help to investigate the behaviour of the crack initiation process. These SCC tests have shown that crack initiation could be obtained after a very short time under dynamic loading conditions on heavily pre-strained austenitic stainless steels. Actual results show that the most limiting stage of the cracking process on CW 316L seems to be the transition from slow transgranular propagation of surface initiated cracks to intergranular fast propagation through the thickness of the sample. The duration of this stage during crack initiation tests is

Effects of nitrogen and pulsed mean welding current in AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel solidification cracks; Efecto del nitrogeno y la corriente media pulsada de soldadura en la formacion de grietas de solidificacion en aceros inoxidables AISI 316L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trevisan, R. E.; Braga, E.; Fals, H. C.

2002-07-01

An analysis of the influence of nitrogen concentration in the weld zone and the pulsed mean welding current in the solidification crack formation is presented in this paper. The AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel was employed as the metal base. The welding was done using CC+ pulsed flux cored are welding process and AWS E316L wire type. The tests were conducted using CO{sub 2} shielding gas with four different nitrogen levels (0,5; 10 and 15%) in order to induce different nitrogen weld metal concentrations. The pulsed mean welding current was varied in three levels and the. Transvarestraint tangential strain test was fixed of 5%. The results showed that the solidification cracking decreased as the pulsed mean welding current increase. It was also verified that an increase of the weld zone nitrogen level was associated with a decrease in both the total length of solidification crack and the amount of {delta} ferrite. (AUthor) 20 refs.

Stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steel in high temperature and high pressure water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uragami, Ken

1977-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels used in for equipment in chemical plants have failed owing to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). These failures brought about great problems in some cases. The failures were caused by chloride, sulfide and alkali solution environment, in particular, by chloride solution environment. It was known that SCC was caused not only by high content chloride solution such as 42% MgCl 2 solution but also by high temperature water containing Cl - ions as NaCl. In order to estimate quantitatively the effects of some factors on SCC in high temperature water environment, the effects of Cl - ion contents, oxygen partial pressure (increasing in proportion to dissolved oxygen), pH and temperature were investigated. Moreover SCC sensitivity owing to the difference of materials and heat treatments was also investigated. The experimental results obtained are summarized as follows: (1) Regarding the effect of contaminant Cl - ions in proportion as Cl - ion contents increased, the material life extremely decreased owing to SCC. The tendency of decreasing was affected by the level of oxygen partial pressure. (2) Three regions of SCC sensitivity existed and they depended upon oxygen partial pressure. These were a region that did not show SCC sensitivity, a region of the highest SCC sensitivity and a region of somewhat lower SCC sensitivity. (3) In the case of SUS304 steel and 500 ppm Cl - ion contents SCC did not occur at 150 0 C, but it occurred and caused failures at 200 0 C and 250 0 C. (auth.)

Development of a lean duplex stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liljas, M.; Johansson, P.; Liu Hui-Ping; Olsson, C.O.A. [Avesta Research Centre, Avesta (Sweden). Outokumpu Stainless

2008-06-15

The classic series of duplex stainless steels shows very high corrosion resistance and can be used for very demanding applications. A new lean duplex steel, LDX 2101 {sup registered} (EN 1.4162, UNS S32101), has been developed with corrosion resistance on a par with standard austenitic grades. Application areas include: structural components, chemical industry, tanks and containers. The steel was designed to have equal amounts of ferrite and austenite in annealed condition and with an austenite that is stable against strain-induced martensite. Thanks to its high nitrogen content, the steel has a fast austenite reformation when subjected to thermal cycling, e.g. welding. Unlike conventional duplex grades, the formation of intermetallic phase is very sluggish, although precipitation of nitrides and carbides has a certain impact on material properties after exposure in the temperature range 600 to 800 C. The precipitation behaviour after different isothermal treatments is described and its influence on different product properties is shown. A good agreement was found between impact toughness and corrosion resistance for a wide range of thermal treatments. (orig.)

Grain-to-Grain Variations in NbC Particle Size Distributions in an Austenitic Stainless Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barlow, Claire; Ralph, B.; Silverman, B.

1979-01-01

Quantitative information has been obtained concerning the size distributions of NbC precipitate particles in different grains in a deformed and aged austenitic stainless steel specimen. The precipitate size distributions obtained differ from one grain to another. The average disparity measured be...

Fatigue behaviour of friction welded medium carbon steel and austenitic stainless steel dissimilar joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paventhan, R.; Lakshminarayanan, P.R.; Balasubramanian, V.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Fusion welding of dissimilar metals is a problem due to difference in properties. → Solid state welding process such as friction welding is a solution for the above problem. → Fatigue life of friction welded carbon steel and stainless steel joints are evaluated. → Effect of notch on the fatigue life of friction welded dissimilar joints is reported. → Formation of intermetallic is responsible for reduction in fatigue life of dissimilar joints. -- Abstract: This paper reports the fatigue behaviour of friction welded medium carbon steel-austenitic stainless steel (MCS-ASS) dissimilar joints. Commercial grade medium carbon steel rods of 12 mm diameter and AISI 304 grade austenitic stainless steel rods of 12 mm diameter were used to fabricate the joints. A constant speed, continuous drive friction welding machine was used to fabricate the joints. Fatigue life of the joints was evaluated conducting the experiments using rotary bending fatigue testing machine (R = -1). Applied stress vs. number of cycles to failure (S-N) curve was plotted for unnotched and notched specimens. Basquin constants, fatigue strength, fatigue notch factor and notch sensitivity factor were evaluated for the dissimilar joints. Fatigue strength of the joints is correlated with microstructure, microhardness and tensile properties of the joints.

Influence of Plastic Deformation on Low Temperature Surface Hardening of Austenitic and Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steels by Gaseous Nitriding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bottoli, Federico; Winther, Grethe; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin

2015-01-01

This article addresses an investigation of the influence of plastic deformation on low temperature surface hardening by gaseous nitriding of three commercial austenitic stainless steels: AISI 304, EN 1.4369 and Sandvik Nanoflex® with various degrees of austenite stability. The materials were...... case included X-ray diffraction analysis, reflected light microscopy and microhardness. The results demonstrate that a case of expanded austenite develops and that, in particular, strain-induced martensite has a large influence on the nitrided zone....

Failures of austenitic stainless steel components during storage: Case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, B.K.; Rastogi, P.K.; Sinha, A.K.; Kulkarni, P.G.

1993-01-01

Three studies of failures of austenitic stainless steel components during storage are described. In all cases, stress corrosion cracking was the failure mode by the action of residual stress alone. However, the source of residual stress was different for each case. Case 1 was the failure of a sample tube header for a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR). In Case 2, a heat exchanger shell failed during a hydrotest in a fertilizer plant. Cases concerned the cracking of type 304L plates used for spent fuel pool lining of a nuclear power station

Hydrogen Absorption Induced Slow Crack Growth in Austenitic Stainless Steels for Petrochemical Pressure Vessel Industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronnie Rusli

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Type 304Land type 309 austenitic stainless steels were tested either by exposed to gaseous hydrogen or undergoing polarized cathodic charging. Slow crack growth by straining was observed in type 304L, and the formation of α‘ martensite was indicated to be precursor for such cracking. Gross plastic deformation was observed at the tip of the notch, and a single crack grew slowly from this region in a direction approximately perpendicular to the tensile axis. Martensite formation is not a necessary condition for hydrogen embrittlement in the austenitic phase.

An experience with in-service fabrication and inspection of austenitic stainless steel piping in high temperature sodium system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ravi, S., E-mail: sravi@igcar.gov.in; Laha, K.; Sakthy, S.; Mathew, M.D.; Bhaduri, A.K.

2015-04-01

Highlights: • Procedure for changing 304L SS pipe to 316L SS in sodium loop has been established. • Hot leg made of 304L SS was isolated from existing cold leg made of 316LN SS. • Innovative welding was used in joining the new 316L SS pipe with existing 316LN SS. • The old components of 304L SS piping have been integrated with the new piping. - Abstract: A creep testing facility along with dynamic sodium loop was installed at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, India to assess the creep behavior of fast reactor structural materials in flowing sodium. Type 304L austenitic stainless steel was used in the low cross section piping of hot-leg whereas 316LN austenitic stainless steel in the high cross section cold-leg of the sodium loop. The intended service life of the sodium loop was 10 years. The loop has performed successfully in the stipulated time period. To enhance its life time, it has been decided to replace the 304L piping with 316L piping in the hot-leg. There were more than 300 welding joints involved in the integration of cold-leg with the new 316L hot-leg. Continuous argon gas flow was maintained in the loop during welding to avoid contamination of sodium residue with air. Several innovative welding procedures have been adopted for joining the new hot-leg with the existing cold-leg in the presence of sodium residue adopting TIG welding technique. The joints were inspected for 100% X-ray radiography and qualified by performing tensile tests. The components used in the discarded hot-leg were retrieved, cleaned and integrated in the renovated loop. A method of cleaning component of sodium residue has been established. This paper highlights the in-service fabrication and inspection of the renovation.

Interaction of stress and phase transformations during thermochemical surface engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Freja Nygaard

and diffusion kinetics to simulate the evolution of composition-depth and stress-depth profiles resulting from nitriding of austenitic stainless steel. The model takes into account a composition-dependent diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in expanded austenite, short range ordering (trapping) of nitrogen atoms......Low temperature nitriding of austenitic stainless steel causes a surface zone of expanded austenite, which improves the wear resistance of the stainless steel while preserving the stainless behavior. During nitriding huge residual stresses are introduced in the treated zone, arising from the volume...... expansion that accompanies the dissolution of high nitrogen contents in expanded austenite. An intriguing phenomenon during low-temperature nitriding, is that the residual stresses evoked by dissolution of nitrogen in the solid state, affect the thermodynamics and the diffusion kinetics of nitrogen...

Optimization of laser welding process parameters for super austenitic stainless steel using artificial neural networks and genetic algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathiya, P.; Panneerselvam, K.; Abdul Jaleel, M.Y.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Super austenitic stainless steel has successfully welded by laser welding with three different shielding gases. ► Among the three shielded joints, the helium shielded weld has more tensile strength. ► Neural network model was developed to predict the depth of penetration, bead width and tensile strength of the joints. ► The developed ANN model is suitably integrated with GA for optimization. -- Abstract: The laser welding input parameters play a very significant role in determining the quality of a weld joint. The quality of the joint can be defined in terms of properties such as weld bead geometry, mechanical properties and distortion. In particular mechanical properties should be controlled to obtain good welded joints. In this study, the weld bead geometry such as depth of penetration (DP), bead width (BW) and tensile strength (TS) of the laser welded butt joints made of AISI 904L super austenitic stainless steel are investigated. Full factorial design is used to carry out the experimental design. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) program was developed in MatLab software to establish the relationship between the laser welding input parameters like beam power, travel speed and focal position and the three responses DP, BW and TS in three different shielding gases (argon, helium and nitrogen). The established models are used for optimizing the process parameters using genetic algorithm (GA). Optimum solutions for the three different gases and their respective responses are obtained. Confirmation experiment has also been conducted to validate the optimized parameters obtained from GA.

The influence of fire exposure on austenitic stainless steel for pressure vessel fitness-for-service assessment: Experimental research

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Shu, Wenhua; Zuo, Yantian

2017-04-01

The austenitic stainless steels are widely applied to pressure vessel manufacturing. The fire accident risk exists in almost all the industrial chemical plants. It is necessary to make safety evaluation on the chemical equipment including pressure vessels after fire. Therefore, the present research was conducted on the influences of fire exposure testing under different thermal conditions on the mechanical performance evolution of S30408 austenitic stainless steel for pressure vessel equipment. The metallurgical analysis described typical appearances in micro-structure observed in the material suffered by fire exposure. Moreover, the quantitative degradation of mechanical properties was investigated. The material thermal degradation mechanism and fitness-for-service assessment process of fire damage were further discussed.

Effect of irradiation temperature on microstructural changes in self-ion irradiated austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hyung-Ha; Ko, Eunsol; Lim, Sangyeob; Kwon, Junhyun; Shin, Chansun

2017-09-01

We investigated the microstructural and hardness changes in austenitic stainless steel after Fe ion irradiation at 400, 300, and 200 °C using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoindentation. The size of the Frank loops increased and the density decreased with increasing irradiation temperature. Radiation-induced segregation (RIS) was detected across high-angle grain boundaries, and the degree of RIS increases with increasing irradiation temperature. Ni-Si clusters were observed using high-resolution TEM in the sample irradiated at 400 °C. The results of this work are compared with the literature data of self-ion and proton irradiation at comparable temperatures and damage levels on stainless steels with a similar material composition with this study. Despite the differences in dose rate, alloy composition and incident ion energy, the irradiation temperature dependence of RIS and the size and density of radiation defects followed the same trends, and were very comparable in magnitude.

Phase stability of high manganese austenitic steels for cryogenic applications

CERN Document Server

Couturier, K

2000-01-01

The aim of this work is to study the austenitic stability against a' martensitic transformation of three non-magnetic austenitic steels : a new stainless steel X2CrMnNiMoN 19-12-11-1 grade, a traditional X8CrMnNiN 19-11-6 grade and a high manganese X8MnCrNi 28-7-1 grade. Measurements of relative magnetic susceptibility at room temperature are performed on strained tensile specimens at 4.2 K. A special extensometer for high precision strain measurements at low temperature has been developed at CERN to test specimens up to various levels of plastic strain. Moreover, the high precision strain recording of the extensometer enables a detailed study of the serrated yield phenomena associated with 4.2 K tensile testing and their influence on the evolution of magnetic susceptibility. The results show that high Mn contents increase the stability of the austenitic structure against a' martensitic transformation, while keeping high strength at cryogenic temperature. Moreover, proper elaboration through primary and possi...

Effects of fluoride and other halogen ions on the external stress corrosion cracking of Type 304 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whorlow, K.M.; Hutto, F.B. Jr.

1997-07-01

The drip procedure from the Standard Test Method for Evaluating the Influence of Thermal Insulation on External Stress Corrosion Cracking Tendency of Austenitic Stainless Steel (ASTM C 692-95a) was used to research the effect of halogens and inhibitors on the External Stress Corrosion Cracking (ESCC) of Type 304 stainless steel as it applies to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 1.36, Nonmetallic Thermal Insulation for Austenitic Stainless Steel. The solutions used in this research were prepared using pure chemical reagents to simulate the halogens and inhibitors found in insulation extraction solutions. The results indicated that sodium silicate compounds that were higher in sodium were more effective for preventing chloride-induced ESCC in Type 304 austenitic stainless steel. Potassium silicate (all-silicate inhibitor) was not as effective as sodium silicate. Limited testing with sodium hydroxide (all-sodium inhibitor) indicated that it may be effective as an inhibitor. Fluoride, bromide, and iodide caused minimal ESCC which could be effectively inhibited by sodium silicate. The addition of fluoride to the chloride/sodium silicate systems at the threshold of ESCC appeared to have no synergistic effect on ESCC. The mass ratio of sodium + silicate (mg/kg) to chloride (mg/kg) at the lower end of the NRC RG 1.36 Acceptability Curve was not sufficient to prevent ESCC using the methods of this research

The carbide M{sub 7}C{sub 3} in low-temperature-carburized austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernst, Frank, E-mail: frank.ernst@cwru.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7204 (United States); Li, Dingqiang; Kahn, Harold; Michal, Gary M.; Heuer, Arthur H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7204 (United States)

2011-04-15

Prolonged low-temperature gas-phase carburization of AISI 316L-type austenitic stainless steel can cause intragranular precipitation of the carbide M{sub 7}C{sub 3} (M: randomly dispersed Fe, Cr, Ni). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the carbide particles have the shape of needles. They grow by a ledge-migration mechanism and in a crystallographic orientation relationship to the austenite matrix that enables highly coherent interphase interfaces. A small solubility limit of Ni in the carbide and restricted Ni diffusivity at the processing temperature leads to Ni pileup around the particles and may explain the extreme aspect ratio of the particle shape. These characteristics closely resemble what has been observed earlier for precipitates of M{sub 5}C{sub 2} under slightly different processing conditions and can be rationalized by considering the particular constraints imposed by carburization at low temperature.

Interface segregation behavior in thermal aged austenitic precipitation strengthened stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Hui [Key Laboratory for Microstructures, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Technical Department, Jiuli Hi-Tech Metals Co., Ltd., Huzhou 313008 (China); Song, Hui [Key Laboratory for Microstructures, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Liu, Wenqing, E-mail: wqliu@staff.shu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Microstructures, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Xia, Shuang; Zhou, Bangxin [Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Su, Cheng; Ding, Wenyan [Technical Department, Jiuli Hi-Tech Metals Co., Ltd., Huzhou 313008 (China)

2015-12-15

The segregation of various elements at grain boundaries, precipitate/matrix interfaces were analyzed using atom probe tomography in an austenitic precipitation strengthened stainless steel aged at 750 °C for different time. Segregation of P, B and C at all types of interfaces in all the specimens were observed. However, Si segregated at all types of interfaces only in the specimen aged for 16 h. Enrichment of Ti at grain boundaries was evident in the specimen aged for 16 h, while Ti did not segregate at other interfaces. Mo varied considerably among interface types, e.g. from segregated at grain boundaries in the specimens after all the aging time to never segregate at γ′/γ phase interfaces. Cr co-segregated with C at grain boundaries, although carbides still did not nucleate at grain boundaries yet. Despite segregation tendency variations in different interface types, the segregation tendency evolution variation of different elements depending aging time were analyzed among all types of interfaces. Based on the experimental results, the enrichment factors, Gibbs interface excess and segregation free energies of segregated elements were calculated and discussed. - Highlights: • Solute atoms segregated at interfaces were analyzed in an austenitic stainless steel. • The comparison of segregation in different interfaces was studied by APT. • The evolution of interface segregation during aging treatment was discussed.

Corrosion and Nanomechanical Behaviors of 16.3Cr-0.22N-0.43C-1.73Mo Martensitic Stainless Steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Rahul; Krishna, S. Chenna; Venugopal, A.; Narayanan, P. Ramesh; Jha, Abhay K.; Ramkumar, P.; Venkitakrishnan, P. V.

2016-01-01

The effect of nitrogen on the electrochemical corrosion and nanomechanical behaviors of martensitic stainless steel was examined using potentiodynamic polarization and nanoindentation test methods. The results indicate that partial replacement of carbon with nitrogen effectively improved the passivation and pitting corrosion resistance of conventional high-carbon and high- chromium martensitic steels. Post-test observation of the samples after a potentiodynamic test revealed a severe pitting attacks in conventional martensitic steel compared with nitrogen- containing martensitic stainless steel. This was shown to be due to (i) microstructural refinement results in retaining a high-chromium content in the matrix, and (ii) the presence of reversed austenite formed during the tempering process. Since nitrogen addition also resulted in the formation of a Cr_2N phase as a process of secondary hardening, the hardness of the nitrogen- containing steel is slightly higher than the conventional martensitic stainless steel under tempered conditions, even though the carbon content is lowered. The added nitrogen also improved the wear resistance of the steel as the critical load (Lc2) is less, along with a lower scratch friction coefficient (SFC) when compared to conventional martensitic stainless steel such as AISI 440C.

Corrosion and Nanomechanical Behaviors of 16.3Cr-0.22N-0.43C-1.73Mo Martensitic Stainless Steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, Rahul; Krishna, S. Chenna; Venugopal, A.; Narayanan, P. Ramesh; Jha, Abhay K.; Ramkumar, P.; Venkitakrishnan, P. V. [Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (ISRO), Kerala (India)

2016-12-15

The effect of nitrogen on the electrochemical corrosion and nanomechanical behaviors of martensitic stainless steel was examined using potentiodynamic polarization and nanoindentation test methods. The results indicate that partial replacement of carbon with nitrogen effectively improved the passivation and pitting corrosion resistance of conventional high-carbon and high- chromium martensitic steels. Post-test observation of the samples after a potentiodynamic test revealed a severe pitting attacks in conventional martensitic steel compared with nitrogen- containing martensitic stainless steel. This was shown to be due to (i) microstructural refinement results in retaining a high-chromium content in the matrix, and (ii) the presence of reversed austenite formed during the tempering process. Since nitrogen addition also resulted in the formation of a Cr{sub 2}N phase as a process of secondary hardening, the hardness of the nitrogen- containing steel is slightly higher than the conventional martensitic stainless steel under tempered conditions, even though the carbon content is lowered. The added nitrogen also improved the wear resistance of the steel as the critical load (Lc2) is less, along with a lower scratch friction coefficient (SFC) when compared to conventional martensitic stainless steel such as AISI 440C.

A new model for fatigue damage accumulation of austenitic stainless steel under variable amplitude loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taheri, S.; Vincent, L.; Le-Roux, J.C.

2013-01-01

The application of Miner's rule using a loading issued from a mock-up of a RHR system (removal heat system) of PWR plant, made of 304 steel gives a very important non-conservative fatigue life in strain control when strain fatigue curve is used. This result is due to the absence of sequence effect in Miner's rule. Many non linear damage accumulation models have been proposed to get a sequence effect. Shortcomings of some non linear damage accumulation models are discussed. So Smith-Watson-Topper and Fatemi-Socie criterions with a linear damage accumulation rule are then applied to experimental data. A major issue is the need for an elastic-plastic constitutive law which is difficult to propose in the presence of high cycle secondary hardening observed in austenitic stainless steels. A conservative model for fatigue damage accumulation under variable amplitude loading is then proposed for austenitic stainless steels in strain control, which does not need a constitutive law, but takes into account plasticity through cyclic strain stress curve. The model uses a linear damage accumulation rule. This model is based on the fact that for stainless steels, pre-hardening is detrimental for fatigue life in strain control, while it is beneficial in stress control. In the presence of low mean stress, the model is approved based on a large number of tests. Moreover the model allows to explain the larger detrimental effect of a tension mean stress in strain control tests than in stress control tests. (authors)

Initiation of stress corrosion cracking in pre-stained austenitic stainless steels exposed to primary water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huguenin, P.

2012-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels are widely used in primary circuits of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) plants. However, a limited number of cases of Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking (IGSCC) has been detected in cold-worked (CW) areas of non-sensitized austenitic stainless steel components in French PWRs. A previous program launched in the early 2000's identified the required conditions for SCC of cold-worked stainless steels. It was found that a high strain hardening coupled with a cyclic loading favoured SCC. The present study aims at better understanding the role of pre-straining on crack initiation and at developing an engineering model for IGSCC initiation of 304L and 316L stainless steels in primary water. Such model will be based on SCC initiation tests on notched (not pre-cracked) specimens under 'trapezoidal' cyclic loading. The effects of pre-straining (tensile versus cold rolling), cold-work level and strain path on the SCC mechanisms are investigated. Experimental results demonstrate the dominating effect of strain path on SCC susceptibility for all pre-straining levels. Initiation can be understood as crack density and crack depth. A global criterion has been proposed to integrate both aspects of initiation. Maps of SCC initiation susceptibility have been proposed. A critical crack depth between 10 and 20 μm has been demonstrated to define transition between slow propagation and fast propagation for rolled materials. For tensile pre-straining, the critical crack depth is in the range 20 - 50 μm. Experimental evidences support the notion of a KISCC threshold, whose value depends on materials, pre-straining ant load applied. The initiation time has been found to depend on the applied loading as a function of (σ max max/YV) 11,5 . The effect of both strain path and surface hardening is indirectly taken into account via the yield stress. In this study, material differences rely on strain path effect on mechanical properties. As a result, a stress

A low-temperature study to examine the role of epsilon-martensite during strain-induced transformations in metastable austenitic stainless steels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Datta, K.; Delhez, R; Bronsveld, P.M.; Beyer, J.; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.; Post, J.

2009-01-01

A low-temperature study of the mechanical behaviour of a metastable semi-austenitic stainless steel was carried out. This class of stainless steels is found to show a characteristic hump followed by softening in their stress–strain curves, especially at low temperatures, much like dynamically

A low-temperature study to examine the role of epsilon-martensite during strain-induced transformations in metastable austenitic stainless steels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Datta, K.; Delhez, R.; Bronsveld, P. M.; Beyer, J.; Geijselaers, H. J. M.; Post, J.

A low-temperature study of the mechanical behaviour of a metastable semi-austenitic stainless steel was carried out. This class of stainless steels is found to show a characteristic hump followed by softening in their stress-strain curves, especially at low temperatures, much like dynamically

Mechanical property degradation and microstructural evolution of cast austenitic stainless steels under short-term thermal aging

Science.gov (United States)

Lach, Timothy G.; Byun, Thak Sang; Leonard, Keith J.

2017-12-01

Mechanical testing and microstructural characterization were performed on short-term thermally aged cast austenitic stainless steels (CASS) to understand the severity and mechanisms of thermal-aging degradation experienced during extended operation of light water reactor (LWR) coolant systems. Four CASS materials-CF3, CF3M, CF8, and CF8M-were thermally aged for 1500 h at 290 °C, 330 °C, 360 °C, and 400 °C. All four alloys experienced insignificant change in strength and ductility properties but a significant reduction in absorbed impact energy. The primary microstructural and compositional changes during thermal aging were spinodal decomposition of the δ-ferrite into α/α‧, precipitation of G-phase in the δ-ferrite, segregation of solute to the austenite/ferrite interphase boundary, and growth of M23C6 carbides on the austenite/ferrite interphase boundary. These changes were shown to be highly dependent on chemical composition, particularly the concentration of C and Mo, and aging temperature. The low C, high Mo CF3M alloys experienced the most spinodal decomposition and G-phase precipitation coinciding the largest reduction in impact properties.

Hydrogen Embrittlement Mechanism in Fatigue Behavior of Austenitic and Martensitic Stainless Steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sven Brück

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the influence of hydrogen on the fatigue behavior of the high strength martensitic stainless steel X3CrNiMo13-4 and the metastable austenitic stainless steels X2Crni19-11 with various nickel contents was examined in the low and high cycle fatigue regime. The focus of the investigations were the changes in the mechanisms of short crack propagation. Experiments in laboratory air with uncharged and precharged specimen and uncharged specimen in pressurized hydrogen were carried out. The aim of the ongoing investigation was to determine and quantitatively describe the predominant processes of hydrogen embrittlement and their influence on the short fatigue crack morphology and crack growth rate. In addition, simulations were carried out on the short fatigue crack growth, in order to develop a detailed insight into the hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms relevant for cyclic loading conditions. It was found that a lower nickel content and a higher martensite content of the samples led to a higher susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement. In addition, crack propagation and crack path could be simulated well with the simulation model.

Study of copper precipitation behavior in a Cu-bearing austenitic antibacterial stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, Ling; Nan, Li; Yang, Ke

2011-01-01

Copper (Cu) precipitation behavior in a type 304 Cu-bearing austenitic antibacterial stainless steel was studied by analyses of variations in micro-hardness, electrical resistivity, electrochemical impedance and lattice constant of the steel, complemented with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, showing more or less changes on these properties of the steel with different aging time. It was found that both micro-hardness and electrical resistivity measurements were relatively sensitive and accurate to reflect the Cu precipitation behavior in the experimental steel, indicating the beginning and finishing points of the precipitation, which are more simple and effective to be used for development of the new type of antibacterial stainless steels.

Strain hardening and plastic instability properties of austenitic stainless steels after proton and neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, T.S.; Farrell, K.; Lee, E.H.; Hunn, J.D.; Mansur, L.K.

2001-01-01

Strain hardening and plastic instability properties were analyzed for EC316LN, HTUPS316, and AL6XN austenitic stainless steels after combined 800 MeV proton and spallation neutron irradiation to doses up to 10.7 dpa. The steels retained good strain-hardening rates after irradiation, which resulted in significant uniform strains. It was found that the instability stress, the stress at the onset of necking, had little dependence on the irradiation dose. Tensile fracture stress and strain were calculated from the stress-strain curve data and were used to estimate fracture toughness using an existing model. The doses to plastic instability and fracture, the accumulated doses at which the yield stress reaches instability stress or fracture stress, were predicted by extrapolation of the yield stress, instability stress, and fracture stress to higher dose. The EC316LN alloy required the highest doses for plastic instability and fracture. Plastic deformation mechanisms are discussed in relation to the strain-hardening properties of the austenitic stainless steels

Carburization behavior of AISI 316LN austenitic stainless steel - Experimental studies and modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudha, C. [Physical Metallurgy Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamilnadu (India); Sivai Bharasi, N. [Corrosion Science and Technology Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamilnadu (India); Anand, R. [Physical Metallurgy Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamilnadu (India); Shaikh, H., E-mail: hasan@igcar.gov.i [Corrosion Science and Technology Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamilnadu (India); Dayal, R.K. [Corrosion Science and Technology Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamilnadu (India); Vijayalakshmi, M. [Physical Metallurgy Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamilnadu (India)

2010-07-31

AISI type 316LN austenitic stainless steel was exposed to flowing sodium at 798 K for 16,000 h in the bi-metallic (BIM) sodium loop. A modified surface layer of 10 {mu}m width having a ferrite structure was detected from X-ray diffraction and electron micro probe based analysis. Beneath the modified surface layer a carburized zone of 60 {mu}m width was identified which was found to consist of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides. A mathematical model based on finite difference technique was developed to predict the carburization profiles in sodium exposed austenitic stainless steel. In the computation, effect of only chromium on carbon diffusion was considered. Amount of carbon remaining in solution was determined from the solubility parameter. The predicted profile showed a reasonably good match with the experimental profile. Calculations were extended to simulate the thickness of the carburized layer after exposure to sodium for a period of 40 years. Attempt was also made to predict the carburization profiles based on equilibrium calculations using Dictra and Thermocalc which contain both thermodynamic and kinetic databases for the system under consideration.

Environmental Degradation of Dissimilar Austenitic 316L and Duplex 2205 Stainless Steels Welded Joints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Topolska S.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper describes structure and properties of dissimilar stainless steels welded joints between duplex 2205 and austenitic 316L steels. Investigations were focused on environmentally assisted cracking of welded joints. The susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC and hydrogen embrittlement was determined in slow strain rate tests (SSRT with the strain rate of 2.2 × 10−6 s−1. Chloride-inducted SCC was determined in the 35% boiling water solution of MgCl2 environment at 125°C. Hydrogen assisted SCC tests were performed in synthetic sea water under cathodic polarization condition. It was shown that place of the lowest resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking is heat affected zone at duplex steel side of dissimilar joins. That phenomenon was connected with undesirable structure of HAZ comprising of large fractions of ferrite grains with acicular austenite phase. Hydrogen assisted SCC tests showed significant reduction in ductility of duplex 2205 steel while austenitic 316L steel remains almost immune to degradation processes. SSR tests of dissimilar welded joints revealed a fracture in the area of austenitic steel.

Effect of composition on the electrochemical behavior of austenitic stainless steel in Ringer's solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandy, R.; Cahoon, J.R.

1977-01-01

Potentiodynamic cyclic polarization tests on Type 316L stainless steel, a common orthopedic implant alloy, in Ringer's solution show considerable hysteresis and a protection potential more active than the open circuit corrosion potential. This implies that chances of repassivation of actively growing pits in this alloy are limited. Tests in Ringer's solution containing hydrochloric acid show that the open circuit potential of Type 316L steel in this solution may exceed in the noble direction the critical pitting potential in the same solution. This signifies that spontaneous breakdown of passivity may occur in a bulk environment which grossly simulates the electrochemical environment within a crevice. Alloying elements such as Mo, Ni, Cr, all improve the corrosion resistance of Type 316L stainless steel in that the critical pitting potential shifts in the noble direction in the alloys having any of the three alloying elements in a higher proportion than in Type 316L steel. Polarization tests in Ringer's solution on a 20% Cr, 25% Ni, 4.5% Mo, 1.5% Cu austenitic stainless steel, having Mo, Cr, and Ni--all in higher proportions than in Type 316L steel, does not show any critical pitting potential or hysteresis at potentials below that for dissociation of water. However, test in 4% NaCl solution at 60 C, a more aggressive chloride environment than Ringer'ssolution, reveals considerable hysteresis and a very active protection potential, indicating that this behavior is a common feature of austenitic stainless steel in sufficiently aggressive, chloride media

Microstructure and mechanical properties of resistance upset butt welded 304 austenitic stainless steel joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharifitabar, M.; Halvaee, A.; Khorshahian, S.

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: Three different microstructural zones formed at different distances from the joint interface in resistance upset butt welding of 304 austenitic stainless steel. Highlights: → Evaluation of microstructure in resistance upset welding of 304 stainless steel. → Evaluation of welding parameters effects on mechanical properties of the joint. → Introducing the optimum welding condition for joining stainless steel bars. -- Abstract: Resistance upset welding (UW) is a widely used process for joining metal parts. In this process, current, time and upset pressure are three parameters that affect the quality of welded products. In the present research, resistance upset butt welding of 304 austenitic stainless steel and effect of welding power and upset pressure on microstructure, tensile strength and fatigue life of the joint were investigated. Microstructure of welds were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to distinguish the phase(s) that formed at the joint interface and in heat affected zone (HAZ). Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) linked to the SEM was used to determine chemical composition of phases formed at the joint interface. Fatigue tests were performed using a pull-push fatigue test machine and the fatigue properties were analyzed drawing stress-number of cycles to failure (S-N) curves. Also tensile strength tests were performed. Finally tensile and fatigue fracture surfaces were studied by SEM. Results showed that there were three different microstructural zones at different distances from the joint interface and delta ferrite phase has formed in these regions. There was no precipitation of chromium carbide at the joint interface and in the HAZ. Tensile and fatigue strengths of the joint decreased with welding power. Increasing of upset pressure has also considerable influence on tensile strength of the joint. Fractography of fractured samples showed that formation of hot spots at

The Use of Austenitic Stainless Steel versus Monel (Ni-Cu) Alloy in Pressurized Gaseous Oxygen (GOX) Life Support Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-03-01

Carbon Steel AISI 1025 2. AISI 4140 3. Ductile Iron 4. 304 Stainless Steel 5. 17-4 PH Stainless Steel 6. 410 Stainless Steel 7. Lead Babbit 8. Tin Babbit...9. Inconel 718 i0. Aluminum 1100 30 6- AISI 4140 steel, all the results were negative (no ignitions). The single exception was with a sample of 4140 ...rates for austenitic stainless steel ( AISI 316), Monel (63% Ni - 34% Cu) and carbon steel (AMS 5050) tubing in this environment. 12 - 14-660 A 7

Influence of alloy elements on physical and mechanical properties of single crystalline austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Kazutaka; Kaneda, Junya; Yoshinari, Akira; Aono, Yasuhisa

2000-01-01

The single crystalline austenitic stainless steels based on 316 L were developed to improve their resistance to intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. However the mechanical properties of the single crystals were lower than those of polycrystalline. The precipitation hardening methods were applied to the single crystal for the increase of their mechanical strength by addition of niobium and heat treatments. In this paper, the influences of niobium concentration on the several physical and mechanical properties of these single crystalline austenitic stainless steels were studied. The thermal conductivity, coefficients of thermal expansion and elastic constants of the single crystals were almost the same as those of polycrystalline independently of the niobium concentration. The mechanical properties of the single crystals strongly depended on the niobium concentration and the orientation. In the specimen which contains 1.0 mass% niobium, 0.2% proof stress were remarkably improved; 370 MPa, 337 MPa and 403 MPa were obtained in , and orientations at the room temperature. The creep rupture strength and the high cycle fatigue strength were also improved by addition of niobium. In the -orientated specimen which contains 1.0 mass% niobium, the creep rupture strength at 873 K for 103 hours, 245 MPa and the high cycle fatigue strength at 773 K for 107 cycles, 220 MPa were obtained. Furthermore, the single crystalline pipe, bolts and nuts were successfully manufactured for the application of these single crystals. (author)

The effect of alloyed nitrogen or dissolved nitrate ions on the anodic behaviour of austenitic stainless steel in hydrochloric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahrabi, T.

2004-01-01

The anodic behaviour of high purity stainless steels, based on a 316L composition, has been studied at room temperature in HCl solutions from 1 to 6 M. For all acid concentrations, the presence of 0.22% nitrogen has little or no effect on the active dissolution kinetics at low over-potentials. The effect on the critical current density for passivation is also small for low HCl concentrations ( 4.5 M), no passivation occurs and again nitrogen has little effect. However, for HCl concentrations around 4 M nitrogen reversibly impedes active dissolution at a few hundred mA cm -2 . The effect does not appear to be an oxide passivation, but is more likely to be due to surface enrichment of nitrogen atoms. Implications for localized corrosion are discussed. An effect similar to that of nitrogen alloying is reproduced on a nitrogen free alloy by adding 2 M NaNO 3 to a 4M HCl solution. This effect is distinct from the passivation of salt-covered surfaces and may be preferable to the latter as an explanation of the increase in pitting potential by nitrate additions to NaCl solutions. Passivation under a salt film is retained to explain the passivation of growing pits above the inhibition potential. (authors)

Precipitation of Second Phases in High-Interstitial-Alloyed Austenitic Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tae-Ho; Ha, Heon-Young; Kim, Sung-Joon

2011-12-01

The precipitation reaction of an austenitic stainless steel containing N + C was investigated using transmission electron microscopy. The main precipitate formed during isothermal aging at 1123 K (850 °C) was M23C6 carbide, and its morphology gradually changed in a sequence of intergranular (along grain boundary) → cellular (or discontinuous) → intragranular (within grain interior) form with aging time. Irrespective of different morphologies, the M23C6 was consistently related to austenite matrix in accordance with the cube-on-cube orientation relationship. Based on the analysis of electron diffraction, two variants of intragranular M23C6 were identified, and they were related to each other by twin relation. Prolonged aging produced other types of precipitates—the rod-shaped Cr2N and the coarse irregular intermetallic sigma phase. The similarities and differences in precipitation behavior between N only and N + C alloyed austenitic stainless steels are briefly discussed.

Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Friction Stir Welding High Nitrogen Martensitic Stainless Steel 30Cr15Mo1N

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Geng

2016-11-01

Full Text Available High nitrogen martensitic stainless steel 30Cr15Mo1N plates were successfully welded by friction stir welding (FSW at a tool rotation speed of 300 rpm with a welding speed of 100 mm/min, using W-Re tool. The sound joint with no significant nitrogen loss was successfully produced. Microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of an FSW joint were investigated. The results suggest that the grain size of the stir zone (SZ is larger than the base metal (BM and is much larger the case in SZ-top. Some carbides and nitrides rich in chromium were found in BM while not observed in SZ. The martensitic phase in SZ could transform to austenite phase during the FSW process and the higher peak temperature, the greater degree of transformation. The hardness of SZ is significantly lower than that of the BM. An abrupt change of hardness defined as hard zone (HZ was found in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ on the advancing side (AS, and the HZ is attributed to a combination result of temperature, deformation, and material flow behavior. The corrosion resistance of SZ is superior to that of BM, which can be attributed to less precipitation and lower angle boundaries (LABs. The corrosion resistance of SZ-bottom is slight higher than that of SZ-top because of the finer grained structure.

Grain boundary chromium concentration effects on the IGSCC and IASCC of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruemmer, S.M.; Arey, B.W.; Charlot, L.A.

1993-08-01

Comparisons are made between grain boundary composition and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of 304 and 309 austenitic stainless steels in high-temperature water environments. Chromium depletion had the dominant effect on cracking resistance with the extent of IG cracking controlled by the interfacial chromium concentration. The minimum chromium concentration required to promote cracking was a function of the applied strain rate during slow-strain-rate tensile tests in 288 C air-saturated water. Depletion from bulk levels of 18 wt% to ∼13.5 wt% Cr at grain boundaries prompted 100% IG cracking at a strain rate of 1 x 10 -6 s -1 , while embrittlement was observed with only a slight depletion to ∼17 wt% at 2 x 10 -7 s -1 . Insights into critical interfacial compositions promoting IGSCC are discussed in reference to cracking of irradiated stainless steel nuclear reactor core components

Biofouling on austenitic stainless steels in spent nuclear fuel pools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarro, M I; Moreno, D A; Chicote, E; Lorenzo, P I; Garcia, A M [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Departamento de Ingenieria y Ciencia de los Materiales, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Jose Gutierrez Abascal, 2, E-28006 Madrid (Spain); Montero, F [Iberdrola Generacion, S.A., y C.M.D.S., Centro de Tecnologia de Materiales, Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto, 53, E-28005 Madrid (Spain)

2003-07-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the biofilm formation on three different types of austenitic stainless steel (UNS S30400, S30466 and S31600) submerged in a spent nuclear fuel pool. The presence of microorganisms in coupons was characterised using standard culture microbiological methods, microscopic techniques (epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), and molecular biology techniques (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and sequencing fragments of 16S rDNA). The microscopy techniques showed signs of colonisation of stainless steels in spite of these extreme conditions. Based on sequencing of cultured microorganisms, different bacteria belonging to {alpha}, {beta}, {gamma}-Proteobacteria, Bacilli, and Actinobacteria classes have been identified. The biofilm radioactivity was measured using gamma-ray spectrometry and, according to the data gathered, the radionuclides present in the water pool were entrapped in the biofilm increasing the amount of radiation at the surface of the different materials. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Biofouling on austenitic stainless steels in spent nuclear fuel pools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarro, M.I.; Moreno, D.A.; Chicote, E.; Lorenzo, P.I.; Garcia, A.M.; Montero, F.

2003-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the biofilm formation on three different types of austenitic stainless steel (UNS S30400, S30466 and S31600) submerged in a spent nuclear fuel pool. The presence of microorganisms in coupons was characterised using standard culture microbiological methods, microscopic techniques (epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), and molecular biology techniques (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and sequencing fragments of 16S rDNA). The microscopy techniques showed signs of colonisation of stainless steels in spite of these extreme conditions. Based on sequencing of cultured microorganisms, different bacteria belonging to α, β, γ-Proteobacteria, Bacilli, and Actinobacteria classes have been identified. The biofilm radioactivity was measured using gamma-ray spectrometry and, according to the data gathered, the radionuclides present in the water pool were entrapped in the biofilm increasing the amount of radiation at the surface of the different materials. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Influence of plastic strain localization on the stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels; Influence de la localisation de la deformation plastique sur la CSC d'aciers austenitiques inoxydables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cisse, S.; Tanguy, B. [CEA Saclay, DEN, SEMI, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Andrieu, E.; Laffont, L.; Lafont, M.Ch. [Universite de Toulouse. CIRIMAT, UPS/INPT/CNRS, 31 - Toulous (France)

2010-03-15

The authors present a research study of the role of strain localization on the irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of vessel steel in PWR-type (pressurized water reactor) environment. They study the interaction between plasticity and intergranular corrosion and/or oxidation mechanisms in austenitic stainless steels with respect to sublayer microstructure transformations. The study is performed on three austenitic stainless grades which have not been sensitized by any specific thermal treatment: the A286 structurally hardened steel, and the 304L and 316L austenitic stainless steels

Joining silicon carbide to austenitic stainless steel through diffusion welding; Stellingen behorende bij het proefschrift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krugers, Jan-Paul

1993-01-19

In this thesis, the results are presented of a study dealing with joining silicon carbide to austenitic stainless steel AIS316 by means of diffusion welding. Welding experiments were carried out without and with the use of a metallic intermediate, like copper, nickel and copper-nickel alloys at various conditions of process temperature, process time, mechanical pressure and interlayer thickness. Most experiments were carried out in high vacuum. For reasons of comparison, however, some experiments were also carried out in a gas shielded environment of 95 vol.% Ar and 5 vol.% H₂.

Characterization and understanding of ion irradiation effect on the microstructure of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volgin, Alexandre

2012-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels are widely used in nuclear industry for internal structures. These structures are located close to the fuel assemblies, inside the pressure vessel. The exposure of these elements to high irradiation doses (the accumulated dose, after 40 years of operation, can reach 80 dpa), at temperature close to 350 C, modifies the macroscopic behavior of the steel: hardening, swelling, creep and corrosion are observed. Moreover, in-service inspections of some of the reactor internal structures have revealed the cracking of some baffle bolts. This cracking has been attributed to Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC). In order to understand this complex phenomenon, a first step is to identify the microstructural changes occurring during irradiation, and to understand the mechanisms at the origin of this evolution. In this framework, a large part of the European project 'PERFORM 60' is dedicated to the study of the irradiation damage in austenitic stainless steels. The objective of this PhD work is to bring comprehensive data on the irradiation effects on microstructure. To reach this goal, two model alloys (FeNiCr and FeNiCrSi) and an industrial austenitic stainless steel (316 steel) are studied using Atom Probe Tomography (APT), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS). They are irradiated by Ni ions in CSNSM (Orsay) at two temperatures (200 and 450 C) and three doses (0.5, 1 and 5 dpa). TEM observations have shown the appearance of dislocation loops, cavities and staking fault tetrahedra. The dislocation loops in 316 steel were preferentially situated in the vicinity of dislocations, while they were randomly distributed in the FeNiCr alloy. APT study has shown the redistribution of Ni and Si under irradiation in FeNiCrSi model alloy and 316 steel, leading to the appearance of (a) Cottrell clouds along dislocation lines, dislocation loops and other non-identified crystalline defects and (b

Influence of surface texture on the galling characteristics of lean duplex and austenitic stainless steels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wadman, Boel; Eriksen, J.; Olsson, M.

2010-01-01

Two simulative test methods were used to study galling in sheet forming of two types of stainless steel sheet: austenitic (EN 1.4301) and lean duplex LDX 2101 (EN 1.4162) in different surface conditions. The pin-on-disc test was used to analyse the galling resistance of different combinations of ...

Tailoring plasticity of austenitic stainless steels for nuclear applications: Review of mechanisms controlling plasticity of austenitic steels below 400 °C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meric de Bellefon, G., E-mail: mericdebelle@wisc.edu [University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States); Duysen, J.C. van [EDF R& D (France); University of Tennessee-Knoxville (United States); Unité Matériaux et Transformation (UMET) CNRS, Université de Lille (France)

2016-07-15

AISI 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels were invented in the early 1900s and are still trusted by materials and mechanical engineers in numerous sectors because of their good combination of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance, and thanks to decades of experience and data. This article is part of an effort focusing on tailoring the plasticity of both types of steels to nuclear applications. It provides a synthetic and comprehensive review of the plasticity mechanisms in austenitic steels during tensile tests below 400 °C. In particular, formation of twins, extended stacking faults, and martensite, as well as irradiation effects and grain rotation are discussed in details. - Highlights: • This article is part of an effort to tailor the plasticity of 304L and 316L steels for nuclear applications. • It reviews mechanisms controlling plasticity of austenitic steels during tensile tests. • Formation of twins, extended stacking faults, and martensite, grain rotation, and irradiation effects are discussed.

Effect of decontamination on oxidation of austenitic stainless steel in reactor conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starkman, T.

1984-07-01

Austenitic stainless steels were oxidized in static autoclaves in light water reactor conditions. After the autoclave treatments the specimens were decontaminated with the aid of alkaline potassium permanganate (AP) and oxalic and citric acid (CITROX) as well as electrochemically in H 3 PO 4 . Alternating oxidation and decontamination tests were performed. An elemental analysis of the surfaces of the specimens was carried out by electron spectroscopy. Changes in structures and thicknesses of the oxide layers were observed. (author)

Resonant creep enhancement in austenitic stainless steels due to pulsed irradiation at low doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishimoto, N.; Amekura, H.; Saito, T.

1994-01-01

Steady-state irradiation creep of austenitic stainless steels has been extensively studied as one of the most important design parameters in fusion reactors. The steady-state irradiation creep has been evaluated using in-pile and light-ion experiments. Those creep compliances of various austenitic steels range in the vicinity of ε/Gσ = 10 -6 ∼10 -5 (dpa sm-bullet MPa) -1 , depending on chemical composition etc. The mechanism of steady-state irradiation creep has been elucidated, essentially in terms of stress-induced preferential absorption of point defects into dislocations, and their climb motion. From this standpoint, low doses such as 10 -3 ∼10 -1 dpa would not give rise to any serious creep, and the irradiation creep may not be a critical issue for the low-dose fusion devices including ITER. It is, however, possible that pulsed irradiation causes different creep behaviors from the steady-state one due to dynamic unbalance of interstitials and vacancies. The authors have actually observed anomalous creep enhancement due to pulsed irradiation in austenitic stainless steels. The resonant behavior of creep indicates that pulsed irradiation may cause significant deformation in austenitic steels even at such low doses and slow pulsing rates, especially for the SA-materials. The first-wall materials in plasma operation of ∼10 2 s may suffer from unexpected transient creep, even in the near-term fusion deices, such as ITER. Though this effect might be a transient effect for a relatively short period, it should be taken into account that the pulsed irradiation makes influences on stress relaxation of the fusion components and on the irradiation fatigue. The mechanism and the relevant behaviors of pulse-induced creep will be discussed in terms of a point-defect model based on the resonant interstitial enrichment

Improved Accident Tolerance of Austenitic Stainless Steel Cladding through Colossal Supersaturation with Interstitial Solutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernst, Frank

2016-01-01

We proposed a program-supporting research project in the area of fuel-cycle R&D, specifically on the topic of advanced fuels. Our goal was to investigate whether SECIS (surface engineering by concentrated interstitial solute - carbon, nitrogen) can improve the properties of austenitic stainless steels and related structural alloys such that they can be used for nuclear fuel cladding in LWRs (light-water reactors) and significantly excel currently used alloys with regard to performance, safety, service life, and accident tolerance. We intended to demonstrate that SECIS can be adapted for post-processing of clad tubing to significantly enhance mechanical properties (hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue life), corrosion resistance, resistance to stress-corrosion cracking (hydrogen-induced embrittlement), and - potentially - radiation resistance (against electron-, neutron-, or ion-radiation damage). To test this hypothesis, we measured various relevant properties of the surface-engineered alloys and compared them with corresponding properties of the non-treated, as-received alloys. In particular, we studied the impact of heat exposure corresponding to BWR (boiling-water reactor) working and accident (loss-of-coolant) conditions and the effect of ion irradiation.

Electron-beam welding of 21-6-9 (Cr--Ni--Mn) stainless steel: effect of machine parameters on weldability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casey, H.

1975-04-01

The high-manganese, nitrogen-strengthened 21-6-9 (Cr--Ni--Mn) austenitic stainless steel has a weldability rating similar to that of more common austenitic stainless steels in terms of cracking, porosity, etc. However, weld pool disruption problems may occur with this alloy that can be related to instability within the molten weld pool. Selection of machine parameters is critical to achieving weld pool quiescence as this report confirms from recent tests. Test samples came from heats of air-melted, vacuum-arc remelted, and electroslag remelted material. Low- and high-voltage machine parameters are discussed, and effects of parameter variation on weld pool behavior are given. Data relate weld pool behavior to weld fusion-zone geometry. Various weld parameters are recommended for the 21-6-9 alloy, regardless of its source or chemistry. (auth)

Updating of actual technique for ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless materials and welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindholm, P.O.; Pers-Anderson, E.B.

1982-01-01

The technique for ultrasonic testing of stainless austenitic steels and weldings has been studied and it has been brought to the latest standard. Many problems exist when testing, the most serious being the occurence of false indications and the damping of energy. Laboratory tests show that the detectors with transversal sound waves should be used for plane defects. Best results were achieved with a 45 degrees detector. (GB)

Austenitic stainless steel-to-ferritic steel transition joint welding for elevated temperature service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, J.F.; Goodwin, G.M.; Slaughter, G.M.

1978-01-01

Transition weld joints between ferritic steels and austenitic stainless steels are required for fossil-fired power plants and proposed nuclear plants. The experience with these dissimilar-metal transition joints has been generally satisfactory, but an increasing number of failures of these joints is occurring prematurely in service. These concerns with transition joint service history prompted a program to develop more reliable joints for application in proposed nuclear power plants

Transformation of austenite to duplex austenite-ferrite assembly in annealed stainless steel 316L consolidated by laser melting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saeidi, K.; Gao, X. [Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Lofaj, F. [Institute of Materials Research of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, Košice (Slovakia); Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 916 24 Trnava (Slovakia); Kvetková, L. [Institute of Materials Research of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, Košice (Slovakia); Shen, Z.J. [Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

2015-06-05

Highlights: • Mechanical properties, phase and microstructure stability of laser melted steel was studied. • Duplex austenite-ferrite assembly with improved mechanical properties was formed. • Dissolution of Mo in the steel matrix resulted in ferrite stabilization and stress relief. • Enhanced mechanical properties were achieved compared to conventionally casted and annealed steel. - Abstract: Laser melting (LM), with a focused Nd:YAG laser beam, was used to form solid bodies from 316L austenite stainless steel powder and the laser melted samples were heat treated at various temperatures. The phase changes in heat treated samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Samples heat treated at 800 °C and 900 °C remained single austenite while in samples heat treated at 1100 °C and 1400 °C a dual austenite-ferrite phase assembly was formed. The ferrite formation was further verified by electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) and selective area diffraction (SAD). Microstructural changes were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). In samples heat treated up to 900 °C, coalescence of the cellular-sub grains was noticed, whereas in sample heat treated at and above 1100 °C the formation of ferrite phase was observed. The correlation between the microstructure/phase assembly and the measured strength/microhardness were investigated, which indicated that the tensile strength of the laser melted material was significantly higher than that of the conventional 316L steel even after heat treatment whereas caution has to be taken when laser melted material will be exposed to an application temperature above 900 °C.

Heat and corrosion resistant cast CN-12 type stainless steel with improved high temperature strength and ductility

Science.gov (United States)

Mazias, Philip J.; McGreevy, Tim; Pollard,Michael James; Siebenaler, Chad W.; Swindeman, Robert W.

2007-08-14

A cast stainless steel alloy and articles formed therefrom containing about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % manganese, 0.02 wt. % to 0.50 wt. % N, and less than 0.15 wt. % sulfur provides high temperature strength both in the matrix and at the grain boundaries without reducing ductility due to cracking along boundaries with continuous or nearly-continuous carbides. Alloys of the present invention also have increased nitrogen solubility thereby enhancing strength at all temperatures because nitride precipitates or nitrogen porosity during casting are not observed. The solubility of nitrogen is dramatically enhanced by the presence of manganese, which also retains or improves the solubility of carbon thereby providing additional solid solution strengthening due to the presence of manganese and nitrogen, and combined carbon. Such solution strengthening enhances the high temperature precipitation-strengthening benefits of fine dispersions of NbC. Such solid solution effects also enhance the stability of the austenite matrix from resistance to excess sigma phase or chrome carbide formation at higher service temperatures. The presence of sulfides is substantially eliminated.

Analytical modeling of the thermomechanical behavior of ASTM F-1586 high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel used as a biomaterial under multipass deformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardes, Fabiano R; Rodrigues, Samuel F; Silva, Eden S; Reis, Gedeon S; Silva, Mariana B R; Junior, Alberto M J; Balancin, Oscar

2015-06-01

Precipitation-recrystallization interactions in ASTM F-1586 austenitic stainless steel were studied by means of hot torsion tests with multipass deformation under continuous cooling, simulating an industrial laminating process. Samples were deformed at 0.2 and 0.3 at a strain rate of 1.0s(-1), in a temperature range of 900 to 1200°C and interpass times varying from 5 to 80s. The tests indicate that the stress level depends on deformation temperature and the slope of the equivalent mean stress (EMS) vs. 1/T presents two distinct behaviors, with a transition at around 1100°C, the non-recrystallization temperature (Tnr). Below the Tnr, strain-induced precipitation of Z-phase (NbCrN) occurs in short interpass times (tpass<30s), inhibiting recrystallization and promoting stepwise stress build-up with strong recovery, which is responsible for increasing the Tnr. At interpass times longer than 30s, the coalescence and dissolution of precipitates promote a decrease in the Tnr and favor the formation of recrystallized grains. Based on this evidence, the physical simulation of controlled processing allows for a domain refined grain with better mechanical properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion properties of modified PNC1520 austenitic stainless steel in supercritical water as a fuel cladding candidate material for supercritical water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakazono, Yoshihisa; Iwai, Takeo; Abe, Hiroaki

2009-01-01

The supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) has been designed and investigated because of its high thermal efficiency and plant simplification. There are some advantages including the use of a single phase coolant with high enthalpy. Supercritical Water (SCW) has never been used in nuclear power applications. There are numerous potential problems, particularly with materials. As the operating temperature of SCWR will be between 553 K and 893 K with a pressure of 25 MPa, the selection of materials is difficult and important. The PNC1520 austenitic stainless steel has been developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) as a nuclear fuel cladding material for a Na-cooled fast breeder reactor. Austenitic Fe-base steels were selected for possible use in supercritical water systems because of their corrosion resistance and radiation resistance. The PNC1520 austenitic stainless steel was selected for possible use in supercritical water systems. The corrosion data of PNC1520 in SCW is required but does not exist. The purpose of the present study is to research the corrosion properties for PNC1520 austenitic stainless steel in SCW. The SCW corrosion test was performed for the standard PNC1520 (1520S) and the Ti-additional type of PNC1520 (1520T) by using a SCW autoclave. The 1520S and 1520T are the first trial production materials of SCWR cladding candidate material in our group. Corrosion and compatibility tests on the austenitic 1520S and 1520T steels in supercritical water were performed at 673, 773 and 600degC with exposures up to 1000 h. We have evaluated the amount of weight gain, weight loss and weight of scale after the corrosion test in SCW for 1520S and 1520T austenitic steels. After 1000 h corrosion test performed, the weight gains of both austenitic stainless steels were less than 2 g/m 2 at 400degC and 500degC. But 1520T weight increases more and weight loss than 1520S at 600degC. The SEM observation result of the surface after 1000 h corrosion of an test

Copper precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of Cu-bearing 316L austenitic stainless steel: A comprehensive cross-correlation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi, Tong; Babar Shahzad, M.; Xu, Dake; Zhao, Jinlong; Yang, Chunguang; Qi, Min; Yang, Ke

2016-01-01

The effect of precipitation hardening on mechanical properties and coarsening behavior of Cu-rich precipitates in a Cu-bearing 316L austenite stainless steel after aging at 700 °C for different time were systematically investigated. The variations of morphology and composition of Cu-rich precipitates as a function of aging time were respectively characterized by electrical resistivity, atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that both hardness and mechanical strength increased to peak value within short aging time, and remained nearly unchanged with prolonged aging time. The TEM observation confirmed a coherent interface between Cu-rich precipitates and austenite matrix, while high number densities of spheroidal Cu-rich precipitates were observed in all aged samples. APT analyses confirmed virtually 100% Cu core composition of Cu-rich precipitates, whereas the average radius was slightly increased from 1.38±0.46 nm to 2.39±0.81 nm with increasing the aging time. The relatively slow growth and coarsening behavior of Cu-rich precipitates was largely attributed to the slower diffusion kinetics of Cu, low interfacial energy and high strain energy of Cu-rich precipitates in the austenite matrix, and was well predicted by the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner theory. The slow increase in average radius of Cu-rich precipitates was consistent with the modest change in hardness and yield strength with extended aging. In addition, the precipitation strengthening effects of Cu-rich precipitates were quantitatively evaluated and analyzed. These cumulative results and analyses could provide a solid foundation for much wider applications of Cu-bearing stainless steels.

Copper precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of Cu-bearing 316L austenitic stainless steel: A comprehensive cross-correlation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xi, Tong [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Babar Shahzad, M.; Xu, Dake; Zhao, Jinlong [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Yang, Chunguang, E-mail: cgyang@imr.ac.cn [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Qi, Min [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Yang, Ke, E-mail: kyang@imr.ac.cn [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China)

2016-10-15

The effect of precipitation hardening on mechanical properties and coarsening behavior of Cu-rich precipitates in a Cu-bearing 316L austenite stainless steel after aging at 700 °C for different time were systematically investigated. The variations of morphology and composition of Cu-rich precipitates as a function of aging time were respectively characterized by electrical resistivity, atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that both hardness and mechanical strength increased to peak value within short aging time, and remained nearly unchanged with prolonged aging time. The TEM observation confirmed a coherent interface between Cu-rich precipitates and austenite matrix, while high number densities of spheroidal Cu-rich precipitates were observed in all aged samples. APT analyses confirmed virtually 100% Cu core composition of Cu-rich precipitates, whereas the average radius was slightly increased from 1.38±0.46 nm to 2.39±0.81 nm with increasing the aging time. The relatively slow growth and coarsening behavior of Cu-rich precipitates was largely attributed to the slower diffusion kinetics of Cu, low interfacial energy and high strain energy of Cu-rich precipitates in the austenite matrix, and was well predicted by the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner theory. The slow increase in average radius of Cu-rich precipitates was consistent with the modest change in hardness and yield strength with extended aging. In addition, the precipitation strengthening effects of Cu-rich precipitates were quantitatively evaluated and analyzed. These cumulative results and analyses could provide a solid foundation for much wider applications of Cu-bearing stainless steels.

In situ x-ray diffraction investigations during low energy ion nitriding of austenitic stainless steel grade 1.4571

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manova, D; Mändl, S; Gerlach, J W; Hirsch, D; Neumann, H; Rauschenbach, B

2014-01-01

Insertion of nitrogen into austenitic stainless steel leads to anomalously fast nitrogen diffusion and the formation of an expanded face-centred cubic phase which is known to contain a large amount of mechanical stress. In situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements during low energy nitrogen ion implantation into steel 316Ti at 300–550 °C allow a direct view into diffusion and phase formation. While the layer growth is directly observable from the decreasing substrate reflection intensity, the time evolution of the intensities for the expanded phase reflection is much more complex: several mechanisms including at least formation and annealing of defects, twinning, reduction of the crystal symmetry, or grain rotation may be active inside the expanded phase, besides the thermally activated decay of the metastable expanded phase. This locally varying coherence length or scattering intensity from the expanded phase is furthermore a function of temperature and time, additionally complicating the deconvolution of XRD spectra for stress and concentration gradients. As no concise modelling of this coherence length is possible at present, a simple qualitative model assuming a dependence of the scattering intensity on the depth, influence by stress and plastic flow during the nitriding process is proposed for understanding the underlying processes. (paper)

Corrosion of an austenite and ferrite stainless steel weld

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BRANIMIR N. GRGUR

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Dissimilar metal connections are prone to frequent failures. These failures are attributed to the difference in the mechanical properties across the weld, the coefficients of thermal expansion of the two types of steels and the resulting creep at the interface. For the weld analyzed in this research, it was shown that corrosion measurements can be used for a proper evaluation of the quality of weld material and for the prediction of whether or not the material, after the applied welding process, can be in service without failures. It was found that the corrosion of the weld analyzed in this research resulted from the simultaneous activity of different types of corrosion. In this study, electrochemical techniques including polarization and metallographic analysis were used to analyze the corrosion of a weld material of ferrite and austenitic stainless steels. Based on surface, chemical and electrochemical analyses, it was concluded that corrosion occurrence was the result of the simultaneous activity of contact corrosion (ferrite and austenitic material conjuction, stress corrosion (originating from deformed ferrite structure and inter-granular corrosion (due to chromium carbide precipitation. The value of corrosion potential of –0.53 V shows that this weld, after the thermal treatment, is not able to repassivate a protective oxide film.

Radiation damage of austenitic stainless steels and zirconium alloys; Pregled radijacionog ostecenja austenitnih nerdjajucih celika i legura cirkonijuma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stefanovic, V [Institute of Nuclear Sciences Boris Kidric, Vinca, Beograd (Yugoslavia)

1965-11-15

This review contains analyses of available data concerning texture deformations and radiation damage of zirconium and zircaloy-2; radiation damage, influence of neutron radiation on the mechanical properties of austenitic, ferritic and other types of stainless steels.

Static strain aging type AISI-304 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trindade, M.B.

1981-03-01

Static strain aging of type AISI-304 austenitic stainless steel was studied from room temperature up to 623K by conducting tests in which the load was held approximately constant, continuously relaxing and unloaded. The aging times varied between 10s and 100h, using a plastic pre deformation of 9% in most of the cases. The static strain aging of 304 steel furnished an activation energy of 23,800 cal/mol. This implies that vacancies play an important role on the aging process. The curve of the variation of the discontinuous yielding with aging time presented different stages, to which specific mathematical expressions were developed. These facts permited the conclusion that Snoek type mechanisms are responsible for the aging in such conditions. (Author) [pt

Microstructural evolution in austenitic stainless steel irradiated with triple-beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamada, Shozo; Miwa, Yukio; Yamaki, Daiju [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Yichuan, Zhang

1997-03-01

An austenitic stainless steel was simultaneously irradiated with nickel, helium and hydrogen ions at the temperature range of 573-673 K. The damage level and injected concentration of He and H ions in the triple-beam irradiated region are 57 dpa, 19000 and 18000 at.ppm, respectively. Following to irradiation, the cross sectional observation normal to the incident surface of the specimen was carried out with a transmission electron microscope. Two bands parallel to the incident surface were observed in the irradiated specimen, which consist of dislocation loops and lines of high number density. These locate in the range of the depth of 0.4 to 1.3 {mu}m and 1.8 to 2.4 {mu}m from the incident surface, respectively. The region between two bands, which corresponds to the triple beam irradiated region, shows very low number density of dislocations than that in each band. Observation with higher magnification of this region shows that fine cavities with high number density uniformly distribute in the matrix. (author)

Modelling grain-scattered ultrasound in austenitic stainless-steel welds: A hybrid model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowers, O.; Duxbury, D. J.; Velichko, A.; Drinkwater, B. W.

2015-01-01

The ultrasonic inspection of austenitic stainless steel welds can be challenging due to their coarse grain structure, charaterised by preferentially oriented, elongated grains. The anisotropy of the weld is manifested as both a ‘steering’ of the beam and the back-scatter of energy due to the macroscopic granular structure of the weld. However, the influence of weld properties, such as mean grain size and orientation distribution, on the magnitude of scattered ultrasound is not well understood. A hybrid model has been developed to allow the study of grain-scatter effects in austenitic welds. An efficient 2D Finite Element (FE) method is used to calculate the complete scattering response from a single elliptical austenitic grain of arbitrary length and width as a function of the specific inspection frequency. A grain allocation model of the weld is presented to approximate the characteristic structures observed in austenitic welds and the complete scattering behaviour of each grain calculated. This model is incorporated into a semi-analytical framework for a single-element inspection of a typical weld in immersion. Experimental validation evidence is demonstrated indicating excellent qualitative agreement of SNR as a function of frequency and a minimum SNR difference of 2 dB at a centre frequency of 2.25 MHz. Additionally, an example Monte-Carlo study is presented detailing the variation of SNR as a function of the anisotropy distribution of the weld, and the application of confidence analysis to inform inspection development

A macroscopic model to simulate the mechanically induced martensitic transformation in metastable austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perdahcıoğlu, E.S.; Geijselaers, H.J.M.

2012-01-01

Mechanically induced martensitic transformation and the associated transformation plasticity phenomena in austenitic stainless steels are studied. The mechanisms responsible for the transformation are investigated and put into perspective based on experimental evidence. The stress and strain partitioning into the austenite and martensite phases are formulated using a mean-field homogenization approach. At this intermediate length-scale the average stress in the austenite phase is computed and utilized to compute the mechanical driving force resolved in the material. The amount of transformation and the transformation plasticity is derived as a function of the driving force. The mechanical response of the material is obtained by combining the homogenization and the transformation models. The model is verified by mechanical tests under biaxial loading conditions during which different transformation rates are observed. As a final verification of the model, a bending test is used which manifests the stress-state dependency of the transformation.

Modified Monkman–Grant relationship for austenitic stainless steel foils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osman Ali, Hassan, E-mail: hassaninsan@gmail.com [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor (Malaysia); Tamin, Mohd Nasir, E-mail: taminmn@fkm.utm.my [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor (Malaysia)

2013-02-15

Characteristics of creep deformation for austenitic stainless steel foils are examined using the modified Monkman–Grant equation. A series of creep tests are conducted on AISI 347 steel foils at 700 °C and different stress levels ranging from 54 to 221 MPa. Results showed that at lower stress levels below 110 MPa, the creep life parameters ε{sub min},ε{sub r},t{sub r} can be expressed using the modified Monkman–Grant equation with exponent m′= 0.513. This indicates significant deviation of the creep behavior from the first order reaction kinetics theory for creep (m′ = 1.0). The true tertiary creep damage in AISI 347 steel foil begins after 65.9% of the creep life of the foil has elapsed at stress levels above 150 MPa. At this high stress levels, Monkman–Grant ductility factor λ{sup ′} saturates to a value of 1.3 with dislocation-controlled deformation mechanisms operating. At low stress levels, λ{sup ′} increases drastically (λ{sup ′}=190 at 54 MPa) when slow diffusion-controlled creep is dominant.

Stress relief cracking by relaxation in austenitic stainless steels welded junctions; Fissuration differee par relaxation des jonctions soudes en aciers inoxydables austenitiques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allais, L.; Auzoux, Q.; Chabaud-Reytier, M

2003-07-01

During service at high temperature (450 to 650 C), austenitic stainless steels are well known to present a risk of cracking near the welded junctions for times under the service life. This intergranular cracking in affected zones has been identified on titanium stabilized steels and is known as relief cracking by relaxation or reheat cracking. In order to control this cracking of welded junctions on titanium stabilized stainless steel AISI 321, a simulation of the affected zone has been realized. The results have been extended to non stabilized steels. (A.L.B.)

Formation of austenite in high Cr ferritic/martensitic steels by high fluence neutron irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Z.; Faulkner, R. G.; Morgan, T. S.

2008-12-01

High Cr ferritic/martensitic steels are leading candidates for structural components of future fusion reactors and new generation fission reactors due to their excellent swelling resistance and thermal properties. A commercial grade 12%CrMoVNb ferritic/martensitic stainless steel in the form of parent plate and off-normal weld materials was fast neutron irradiated up to 33 dpa (1.1 × 10 -6 dpa/s) at 400 °C and 28 dpa (1.7 × 10 -6 dpa/s) at 465 °C, respectively. TEM investigation shows that the fully martensitic weld metal transformed to a duplex austenite/ferrite structure due to high fluence neutron irradiation, the austenite was heavily voided (˜15 vol.%) and the ferrite was relatively void-free; whilst no austenite phases were detected in plate steel. Thermodynamic and phase equilibria software MTDATA has been employed for the first time to investigate neutron irradiation-induced phase transformations. The neutron irradiation effect is introduced by adding additional Gibbs free energy into the system. This additional energy is produced by high energy neutron irradiation and can be estimated from the increased dislocation loop density caused by irradiation. Modelling results show that neutron irradiation reduces the ferrite/austenite transformation temperature, especially for high Ni weld metal. The calculated results exhibit good agreement with experimental observation.

Effects of high energy nitrogen implantation on stainless steel microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Pelletier, H.; Mille, P.; Cornet, A.; Grob, J. J.; Stoquert, J. P.; Muller, D.

1999-01-01

Low energy ion implantation is known to improve chemical and mechanical surface properties of metals. This treatment is often used to enhance wear and corrosion resistance or mechanical life-time of fatigue test of stainless steel or titanium alloys. The aim of this work is to investigate these effects at higher energy, for which deeper (and still not well understood) modifications occur. High fluence (10 18 cm -2) 15N and 14N implantations at 1 MeV have been performed in the 316LL stainless steel and some specimen have been annealed in the 200-500°C temperature range. Nitrogen concentration distribution, structure, morphology and microhardness have been examined with Nuclear Resonance Analysis, Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffraction and Nanoindentation, respectively. Precipitates of steel and chromium nitride phases and a superficial martensitic transformation can be observed, leading to a significant increase of hardness. The best result is obtained after one hour annealing at 425°C, due to a larger and more homogeneous repartition of nitride species. In this case, a near surface accumulation is observed and explained in terms of diffusion and precipitation mechanisms.

Verification of an optimized condition for low residual stress employed water-shower cooling during welding in austenitic stainless steel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagida, N.; Enomoto, K.; Anzai, H.

2004-01-01

To reduce tensile residual stress in a welded region, we have developed a new cooling method that uses a water-shower behind the welding torch. When this method is applied to the welding of austenitic stainless steel, the welding and cooling conditions mainly determine how much the residual stress can be reduced. To optimize these conditions, we first used a robust design method to determine the effects of the preheating temperature, the heat input quantity, and the water-shower area on the residual stress, and found that, to decrease the tensile residual stress, the preheating temperature should be high, the heat input low, and the water-shower area large. To confirm the effectiveness of these optimized conditions, the residual stresses under optimized or non-optimized conditions were measured experimentally. It was found that the residual stresses were tensile under the non-optimized conditions, but compressive under the optimized ones. These measurements agree well with the 3D-FEM analyses. It can therefore be concluded that the optimized conditions are valid and appropriate for reducing residual stress in an austenitic stainless-steel weld. (orig.)

Grain boundary segregation and intergranular stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels in high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoji, T.; Yamaki, K.; Ballinger, R.G.; Hwang, I.S.

1992-01-01

The effects of grain boundary segregation on intergranular stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels in high temperature water have been examined as a function of heat treatment. The materials investigated were: (1) two commercial purity Type 304; (2) low sulfur Type 304; (3) nuclear grade Type 304; (4) ultra high purity Type 304L; and (5) Type 316L and Type 347L. Specimens were solution treated at 1050 degrees C for 0.5 hour and given a sensitization heat treatment at 650 degrees C for 50 hours. Some of the specimens were then subjected to an aging heat treatment at 850 degrees C for from one to ten hours to cause Cr recovery at the grain boundaries. The effects of heat treatments on degree of sensitization and grain boundary segregation were evaluated by Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation (EPR) and Coriou tests, respectively. The susceptibility to stress corrosion (SCC) was evaluated using slow strain rate tests technique (SSRT) in high temperature water. SSRT tests were performed in an aerated pure water (8 ppm dissolved oxygen) at 288 degrees C at a strain rate of 1.33 x 10 -6 /sec. Susceptibility to intergranular stress corrosion cracking was compared with degree of sensitization and grain boundary segregation. The results of the investigation indicate that EPR is not always an accurate indicator of SCC susceptibility. The Coriou test provides a more reliable measure of SCC susceptibility especially for 304L, 304NG, 316L, and 347L stainless steels. The results also indicate that grain boundary segregation as well as degree of sensitization must be considered in the determination of SCC susceptibility

Intragranular Chromium Nitride Precipitates in Duplex and Superduplex Stainless Steel

OpenAIRE

Iversen, Torunn Hjulstad

2012-01-01

Intragranular chromium nitrides is a phenomenon with detrimental effects on material properties in superduplex stainless steels which have not received much attention. Precipitation of nitrides occurs when the ferritic phase becomes supersaturated with nitrogen and there is insufficient time during cooling for diffusion of nitrogen into austenite. Heat treatment was carried out at between 1060◦C and 1160◦C to study the materials susceptibility to nitride precipitation with...

Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization studies of some commercial austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collings, E.W.

1979-01-01

Results of magnetic susceptibility measurements using the Curie magnetic force technique are reported for six AISI 300-series alloys 310S, 304, 304L, 304N, 316, 316L as well as AWS 330 weld metal and Inconel 625. The temperature ranged from 5 to 416 0 K. Magnetization measurements over the temperature range 3 to 297 0 K, performed using a vibrating-sample magnetometer, are also reported. Alloy compositions and sample preparation procedures are discussed and numerical results of the study are presented. Magnetic characteristics of the four principal types of austenitic stainless steels studied are summarized

Pitting corrosion in austenitic stainless steel water tanks of hotel trains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, D. A.; Garcia, A. M.; Ranninger, C.; Molina, B.

2011-01-01

The water storage tanks of hotel trains suffered pitting corrosion. To identify the cause, the tanks were subjected to a detailed metallographic study and the chemical composition of the austenitic stainless steels used in their construction was determined. Both the tank water and the corrosion products were further examined by physicochemical and microbiological testing. Corrosion was shown to be related to an incompatibility between the chloride content of the water and the base and filler metals of the tanks. These findings formed the basis of recommendations aimed at the prevention and control of corrosion in such tanks. (Author) 18 refs.

Metallographic screening of grain boundary engineered type 304 austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanning, F., E-mail: Fabian.Hanning@googlemail.com; Engelberg, D.L., E-mail: Dirk.engelberg@manchester.ac.uk

2014-08-15

An electrochemical etching method for the identification of grain boundary engineered type 304 austenitic stainless steel microstructures is described. The method can be applied for rapid microstructure screening to complement electron backscatter diffraction analysis. A threshold parameter to identify grain boundary engineered microstructure is proposed, and the application of metallographic etching for characterising the degree of grain boundary engineering discussed. - Highlights: • As-received (annealed) and grain boundary engineered microstructures were compared. • Electro-chemical polarisation in nitric acid solutions was carried out. • A metallographic screening method has been developed. • The screening method complements EBSD analysis for microstructure identification.

Tribological studies of ultrahigh dose nitrogen-implanted iron and stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, R.; Wilbur, P.J.; Ozturk, O.; Williamson, D.L.

1991-01-01

The effects of nitrogen implantation to doses as high as 1x10 19 ions/cm 2 on the sliding wear resistance and nitrogen concentration depth profiles are examined experimentally. By maintaining the proper implantation temperature, increases in dose induce the formation of thicker nitrogen-rich, wear-resistant layers. Several microns thick layers are demonstrated for both iron and stainless steel. (orig.)

Modeling precipitation thermodynamics and kinetics in type 316 austenitic stainless steels with varying composition as an initial step toward predicting phase stability during irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shim, Jae-Hyeok, E-mail: jhshim@kist.re.kr [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Povoden-Karadeniz, Erwin [Christian Doppler Laboratory for Early Stages of Precipitation, Vienna University of Technology, A-1040 Vienna (Austria); Kozeschnik, Ernst [Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Vienna University of Technology, A-1040 Vienna (Austria); Wirth, Brian D. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • We model the precipitation kinetics in irradiated 316 austenitic stainless steels. • Radiation-induced phases are predicted to form at over 10 dpa segregation conditions. • The Si content is the most critical for the formation of radiation-induced phases. - Abstract: The long-term evolution of precipitates in type 316 austenitic stainless steels at 400 °C has been simulated using a numerical model based on classical nucleation theory and the thermodynamic extremum principle. Particular attention has been paid to the precipitation of radiation-induced phases such as γ′ and G phases. In addition to the original compositions, the compositions for radiation-induced segregation at a dose level of 5, 10 or 20 dpa have been used in the simulation. In a 316 austenitic stainless steel, γ′ appears as the main precipitate with a small amount of G phase forming at 10 and 20 dpa. On the other hand, G phase becomes relatively dominant over γ′ at the same dose levels in a Ti-stabilized 316 austenitic stainless steel, which tends to suppress the formation of γ′. Among the segregated alloying elements, the concentration of Si seems to be the most critical for the formation of radiation-induced phases. An increase in dislocation density as well as increased diffusivity of Mn and Si significantly enhances the precipitation kinetics of the radiation-induced phases within this model.

Influence of deformation on SCC susceptibility of austenitic stainless steel in PWR primary water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneshima, Yoshiari; Totsuka, Nobuo; Nakajima, Nobuo [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan)

2001-09-01

Slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were carried out to evaluate the SCC susceptibility of four types of austenitic stainless steels (SUS304, SUS316, SUS304L and SUS316L) in PWR primary water. The influence of deformation on SCC susceptibility of SUS316 was studied. All types of stainless steel were susceptible to SCC, and the SCC susceptibility varied depending on the steel type. The comparison of the SSRT results and tensile test in air based on the reduction of area measurement showed that the SCC susceptibility increased with increasing the degree of deformation. For explaining the influence of deformation on SCC susceptibility, it is necessary to evaluate both intergranular and transgranular fractures. (author)

Mechanical Properties of Austenitic Stainless Steel Made by Additive Manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Luecke, William E; Slotwinski, John A

2014-01-01

Using uniaxial tensile and hardness testing, we evaluated the variability and anisotropy of the mechanical properties of an austenitic stainless steel, UNS S17400, manufactured by an additive process, selective laser melting. Like wrought materials, the mechanical properties depend on the orientation introduced by the processing. The recommended stress-relief heat treatment increases the tensile strength, reduces the yield strength, and decreases the extent of the discontinuous yielding. The mechanical properties, assessed by hardness, are very uniform across the build plate, but the stress-relief heat treatment introduced a small non-uniformity that had no correlation to position on the build plate. Analysis of the mechanical property behavior resulted in four conclusions. (1) The within-build and build-to-build tensile properties of the UNS S17400 stainless steel are less repeatable than mature engineering structural alloys, but similar to other structural alloys made by additive manufacturing. (2) The anisotropy of the mechanical properties of the UNS S17400 material of this study is larger than that of mature structural alloys, but is similar to other structural alloys made by additive manufacturing. (3) The tensile mechanical properties of the UNS S17400 material fabricated by selective laser melting are very different from those of wrought, heat-treated 17-4PH stainless steel. (4) The large discontinuous yielding strain in all tests resulted from the formation and propagation of Lüders bands.

Corrosion fatigue initiation and short crack growth behaviour of austenitic stainless steels under light water reactor conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seifert, H.P.; Ritter, S.; Leber, H.J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Corrosion fatigue in austenitic stainless steels under light water reactor conditions. ► Identification of major parameters of influence on initiation and short crack growth. ► Critical system conditions for environmental reduction of fatigue initiation life. ► Comparison with the environmental factor (F env ) approach. - Abstract: The corrosion fatigue initiation and short crack growth behaviour of different wrought low-carbon and stabilised austenitic stainless steels was characterised under simulated boiling water reactor and pressurised water reactor primary water conditions by cyclic fatigue tests with sharply notched fracture mechanics specimens. The special emphasis was placed to the behaviour at low corrosion potentials and, in particular, to hydrogen water chemistry conditions. The major parameter effects and critical conjoint threshold conditions, which result in relevant environmental reduction and acceleration of fatigue initiation life and subsequent short crack growth, respectively, are discussed and summarised. The observed corrosion fatigue behaviour is compared with the fatigue evaluation procedures in codes and regulatory guidelines.

Nitrogen transport during ion nitriding of austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parascandola, S.

2001-09-01

The work is structured as follows: In Chapter 2 fundamental transport concepts and phenomena and approaches to transport modeling are introduced. In Chapter 3 details are presented concerning the material under investigation, the material modification process, and the ion beam analytical techniques. In Chapter 4 experimental and modeling results are presented and discussed. Issues that are directly addressed include: The structural nature of the nitrogen enriched layer. The diffusion mechanism of nitrogen. The role of potential incorporation and release mechanisms. The evolution of the thickness of the nitrogen enriched layer. The role of the surface oxide layer. (orig.)

Use of Direct Current Resistivity Measurements to Assess AISI 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel Sensitization

OpenAIRE

Mesquita, Ramaiany Carneiro; Mecury, José Manoel Rivas; Tanaka, Auro Atsumi; Sousa, Regina Célia de

2015-01-01

This paper describes the feasibility of using direct current electrical resistivity measurements to evaluate AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel sensitization. ASTM A262 – Practice A and double loop electrochemical potentiodynamic reactivation (DL-EPR) tests were performed to assess the degree of sensitization (DoS) qualitatively and quantitatively, and electrical resistivity (ER) was measured by the four-point direct-current potential drop method. The results indicate that the DoS incr...

High Ni austenite stainless steel resistant to neutron irradiation degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yonezawa, Toshio; Iwamura, Toshihiko; Kanasaki, Hiroshi; Fujimoto, Koji; Nakata, Shizuo; Ajiki, Kazuhide; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro.

1997-01-01

The composition of the stainless steel of the present invention comprises from 0.005 to 0.08% of C, up to 3% of Mn, up to 0.2% of Si+P+S, from 25 to 40% of Ni, from 25 to 40% of Cr, up to 3% of Mo, up to 0.3% of Nb+Ta, up to 0.3% of Ti, up to 0.001% of B and the balance of Fe. A solid solubilization treatment at a temperature of from 1,000 to 1,150degC is applied to the stainless steel having the composition. The stainless steel is excellent in stress corrosion cracking-resistance at a working circumstance of a LWR type reactor (high temperature and high pressure water at from 270 to 350degC/from 70 to 160 atm even after undergoing neutron irradiation of about 1 x 10 22 n/cm 2 (E>1 MeV) which is a maximum neutron irradiation amount undergone till the final stage of the working life of the LWR-type reactor. In addition, the average thermal expansion coefficient at from room temperature to 400degC ranges from 15x10 -6 - 19x10 -6 /K. (I.N.)

Stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steel in glycerol solution and chloride solution at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haftirman; Maruhum Tua Lubis

2009-01-01

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) is an environmentally assisted failure caused by exposure to a corrodant while under a sustained tensile stress. SCC is most often rapid, unpredictable and catastrophic. Failure can occur in as little as a few hours or take years to happen. Most alloys are susceptible to SCC in one or more environments requiring careful consideration of alloy type in component design. In aqueous chloride environments austenitic stainless steels and many nickel based alloys are known to perform poorly. One of products Oleo chemical is glycerol solution. Glycerol solution contains chloride with concentration 50 ppm - 150 ppm. Austenitic stainless steel is usually used in distillation construction tank and pipe line of glycerol. Material AISI 304 will be failure in this glycerol solution with this concentration in 5 years. In production process, concentration of chloride in glycerol becomes more than 150 ppm at temperature 150 degree Celsius. The reason is that the experiment I conducted in high chloride with concentration such as 6000 ppm, 9000 ppm, and 12000 ppm. The stress corrosion cracking of the austenitic stainless steels of types AISI 304, 316 and 316L in glycerol solution at elevated temperature 150 degree Celsius is investigated as a function variation of chloride concentration, namely 50, 6000, 9000 and 12000 ppm using a constant load method with two kinds of initial tensile stress as 50 % and 70 % yield strength. The experiment uses a spring loaded fixture type and is based on ASTM G49 for experiment method, and E292 for geometry of specimen. Pitting corrosion occurs on the surface specimen until the stress level reaches the ultimate strength. Pitting corrosion attack and depletion occur on the surface as initiation of SCC failure as the stress reaches the ultimate strength. Failure has occurred in catastrophic brittle fracture type of transgranular. AISI 304 was more susceptible for all conditions. In chloride solution with concentration of

Enhancement of mechanical properties of a TRIP-aided austenitic stainless steel by controlled reversion annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamada, A.S., E-mail: atef.hamada@suezuniv.edu.eg [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Petroleum & Mining Engineering, Suez University, Box 43721, Suez (Egypt); Kisko, A.P. [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Sahu, P. [Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Karjalainen, L.P. [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland)

2015-03-25

Controlled martensitic reversion annealing was applied to a heavily cold-worked metastable austenitic low-Ni Cr–Mn austenitic stainless steel (Type 201) to obtain different ultrafine austenite grain sizes to enhance the mechanical properties, which were then compared with the conventional coarse-grained steel. Characterization of the deformed and reversion annealed microstructures was performed by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The steel with a reverted grain size ~1.5 μm due to annealing at 800 °C for 10 s showed significant improvements in the mechanical properties with yield stress ~800 MPa and tensile strength ~1100 MPa, while the corresponding properties of its coarse grained counterpart were ~450 MPa and ~900 MPa, respectively. However, the fracture elongation of the reversion annealed steel was ~50% as compared to ~70% in the coarse grained steel. A further advantage is that the anisotropy of mechanical properties present in work-hardened steels also disappears during reversion annealing.

Fracture toughness of irradiated wrought and cast austenitic stainless steels in BWR environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopra, O.K.; Gruber, E.E.; Shack, W.J.

2007-01-01

Experimental data are presented on the fracture toughness of wrought and cast austenitic stainless steels (SSs) that were irradiated to a fluence of ∼ 1.5 x 10 21 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV) * (∼ 2.3 dpa) at 296-305 o C. To evaluate the possible effects of test environment and crack morphology on the fracture toughness of these steels, all tests were conducted in normal-water-chemistry boiling water reactor (BWR) environments at ∼ 289 o C. Companion tests were also conducted in air on the same material for comparison. The fracture toughness J-R curves for SS weld heat-affected-zone materials in BWR water were found to be comparable to those in air. However, the results of tests on sensitized Type 304 SS and thermally aged cast CF-8M steel suggested a possible effect of water environment. The available fracture toughness data on irradiated austenitic SSs were reviewed to assess the potential for radiation embrittlement of reactor-core internal components. The synergistic effects of thermal and radiation embrittlement of cast austenitic SS internal components are also discussed. (author)

Modeling of Ni Diffusion Induced Austenite Formation in Ferritic Stainless Steel Interconnects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Ming; Alimadadi, Hossein; Molin, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Ferritic stainless steel interconnect plates are widely used in planar solid oxide fuel cell and electrolysis cell stacks. During stack production and operation, nickel from the Ni/yttria stabilized zirconia fuel electrode or from the Ni contact component layer diffuses into the interconnect plate......, causing transformation of the ferritic phase into an austenitic phase in the interface region. This is accompanied with changes in volume, and in mechanical and corrosion properties of the interconnect plates. In this work, kinetic modeling of the inter-diffusion between Ni and FeCr based ferritic...

Study on the crystallographic orientation relationship and formation mechanism of reversed austenite in economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Dong; Li, Shaohong; Li, Jun; Jiang, Wen; Su, Jie; Zhao, Kunyu

2015-01-01

Effect of carbides and crystallographic orientation relationship on the formation mechanism of reversed austenite of economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel (SMSS) has been investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results indicate that the M_2_3C_6 precipitation and the formation of the reversed austenite have the interaction effect during tempering process in SMSS. The reversed austenite forms intensively at the sub-block boundary and the lath boundary within a misorientation range of 0–60°. M_2_3C_6 has the same crystallographic orientation relationship with reversed austenite. There are two different kinds of formation modes for reversed austenite. One is a nondiffusional shear reversion; the other is a diffusion transformation. Both are strictly limited by crystallographic orientation relationship. The austenite variants are limited to two kinds within one packet and five kinds within one prior austenite grain. - Highlights: • Reversed austenite forms at martensite boundaries with misorientation of 0–60° • M_2_3C_6 precipitation and reversed austenite formation have the interaction effect. • Two austenite variants with different orientations can be formed inside a packet. • Two reversed austenite formation modes: shear reversion; diffusion transformation

Study on the crystallographic orientation relationship and formation mechanism of reversed austenite in economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, Dong; Li, Shaohong; Li, Jun; Jiang, Wen [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China); Su, Jie [Institute for Structural Materials, Central Iron and Steel Research Institute, Beijing 100081 (China); Zhao, Kunyu, E-mail: kyzhaoy@sina.com [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China)

2015-11-15

Effect of carbides and crystallographic orientation relationship on the formation mechanism of reversed austenite of economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel (SMSS) has been investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results indicate that the M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitation and the formation of the reversed austenite have the interaction effect during tempering process in SMSS. The reversed austenite forms intensively at the sub-block boundary and the lath boundary within a misorientation range of 0–60°. M{sub 23}C{sub 6} has the same crystallographic orientation relationship with reversed austenite. There are two different kinds of formation modes for reversed austenite. One is a nondiffusional shear reversion; the other is a diffusion transformation. Both are strictly limited by crystallographic orientation relationship. The austenite variants are limited to two kinds within one packet and five kinds within one prior austenite grain. - Highlights: • Reversed austenite forms at martensite boundaries with misorientation of 0–60° • M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitation and reversed austenite formation have the interaction effect. • Two austenite variants with different orientations can be formed inside a packet. • Two reversed austenite formation modes: shear reversion; diffusion transformation.

Improved Accident Tolerance of Austenitic Stainless Steel Cladding through Colossal Supersaturation with Interstitial Solutes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernst, Frank [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

2016-10-13

We proposed a program-supporting research project in the area of fuel-cycle R&D, specifically on the topic of advanced fuels. Our goal was to investigate whether SECIS (surface engineering by concentrated interstitial solute – carbon, nitrogen) can improve the properties of austenitic stainless steels and related structural alloys such that they can be used for nuclear fuel cladding in LWRs (light-water reactors) and significantly excel currently used alloys with regard to performance, safety, service life, and accident tolerance. We intended to demonstrate that SECIS can be adapted for post-processing of clad tubing to significantly enhance mechanical properties (hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue life), corrosion resistance, resistance to stress–corrosion cracking (hydrogen-induced embrittlement), and – potentially – radiation resistance (against electron-, neutron-, or ion-radiation damage). To test this hypothesis, we measured various relevant properties of the surface-engineered alloys and compared them with corresponding properties of the non–treated, as-received alloys. In particular, we studied the impact of heat exposure corresponding to BWR (boiling-water reactor) working and accident (loss-of-coolant) conditions and the effect of ion irradiation.

Microstructural stability of 21-6-9 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krenzer, R.W.; Sanderson, E.C.

1978-01-01

Two experiments were designed to better define parameters for thermomechanical processing of 21-6-9 stainless steel. This steel is one of the nitrogen-strengthened chromium, manganese, and nickel austenitic stainless steels having mechanical properties that can be improved by a combination of plastic deformation and heat treatments. By heat-treating coupons, the time-temperature relationship of the precipitate phase, and the solutionizing, recrystallizing, and stress-relieving temperature ranges in 21-6-9 were established. Secondly, mechanical properties and microstructure as a function of percent deformation and stress-relieving temperature are reported

High-Temperature Phase Equilibria of Duplex Stainless Steels Assessed with a Novel In-Situ Neutron Scattering Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pettersson, Niklas; Wessman, Sten; Hertzman, Staffan; Studer, Andrew

2017-04-01

Duplex stainless steels are designed to solidify with ferrite as the parent phase, with subsequent austenite formation occurring in the solid state, implying that, thermodynamically, a fully ferritic range should exist at high temperatures. However, computational thermodynamic tools appear currently to overestimate the austenite stability of these systems, and contradictory data exist in the literature. In the present work, the high-temperature phase equilibria of four commercial duplex stainless steel grades, denoted 2304, 2101, 2507, and 3207, with varying alloying levels were assessed by measurements of the austenite-to-ferrite transformation at temperatures approaching 1673 K (1400 °C) using a novel in-situ neutron scattering approach. All grades became fully ferritic at some point during progressive heating. Higher austenite dissolution temperatures were measured for the higher alloyed grades, and for 3207, the temperature range for a single-phase ferritic structure approached zero. The influence of temperatures in the region of austenite dissolution was further evaluated by microstructural characterization using electron backscattered diffraction of isothermally heat-treated and quenched samples. The new experimental data are compared to thermodynamic calculations, and the precision of databases is discussed.

Swelling and swelling resistance possibilities of austenitic stainless steels in fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maziasz, P.J.

1983-01-01

Fusion reactor helium generation rates in stainless steels are intermediate to those found in EBR-II and HFIR, and swelling in fusion reactors may differ from the fission swelling behavior. Advanced titanium-modified austenitic stainless steels exhibit much better void swelling resistance than AISI 316 under EBR-II (up to approx. 120 dpa) and HFIR (up to approx. 44 dpa) irradiations. The stability of fine titanium carbide (MC) precipitates plays an important role in void swelling resistance for the cold-worked titanium-modified steels irradiated in EBR-II. Futhermore, increased helium generation in these steels can (a) suppress void conversion, (b) suppress radiation-induced solute segregation (RIS), and (c) stabilize fine MC particles, if sufficient bubble nucleation occurs early in the irradation. The combined effects of helium-enhanced MC stability and helium-suppressed RIS suggest better void swelling resistance in these steels for fusion service than under EBR-II irradiation

Stability of grain-refined reversed structures in a 301LN austenitic stainless steel under cyclic loading

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Järvenpää, A.; Jaskari, M.; Man, Jiří; Karjalalinen, L.P.

2017-01-01

Roč. 703, č. 4 (2017), s. 280-292 ISSN 0921-5093 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-32665S Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : austenitic stainless steel * reversion treatment * grain size * deformation induced martensite * strain-controlled fatigue Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue, Friction Mechanics OBOR OECD: Audio engineering, reliability analysis Impact factor: 3.094, year: 2016

Creep-fatigue damage in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezgui, Brahim.

1980-06-01

This is a study of hold time effects on the low cycle fatigue (L.C.F.) properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel at 600 0 C in air. Results obtained for different plastic strain levels indicate that a tension hold time at peak strain lead to a reduction in fatigue life. The importance of this effect depend on the length of hold period, and also on the strain amplitude. No saturation had been observed. Metallographic and microstructural analysis of failed specimens indicates mechanisms by which failure is produced. For continuous cycling the fractures occurs by the initiation and the propagation of a trans-granular crack. Creep damage in the bulk of material is formed during periods of tensile stress relaxation; it causes a change in the failure mode which became intergranular. It is the interaction between this creep-damage and fatigue cracks which is partly responsable for the reduction in the fatigue life. Predictions based upon linear cumulative damage method indicate that virgin material properties may be irrelevant in creep-fatigue interactions [fr

Microstructure in 316LN stainless steel fatigued at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruml, T.; Polak, J.

2000-01-01

The internal structure of AISI 316LN austenitic stainless steel cyclically strained at liquid nitrogen temperature has been studied using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. High amplitude cyclic straining promotes the transformation of austenite with face centred cubic (f.c.c.) structure into ε-martensite with hexagonal close packed (h.c.p.) structure and α'-martensite with distorted base centred cubic (b.c.c.) structure. Thin plates containing ε-martensite were identified in all grains. α'-martensite nucleates at the intersection of the plates in grains with two or more systems of plates and can grow in the bands. The orientation of transformed phases follows the Shoji-Nichiyama and Kurdjumov-Sachs relations. Mechanisms of low temperature cyclic straining are discussed. (orig.)