Papers by Keyword: Austenitic Stainless Steel

Abstract: The main objective of this work was to obtain information about the hydrogen diffusion behaviour in a cold-worked austenitic stainless steel (X3CrMnNiMoN17-8-4) in which deformation-induced martensite formation occurs during mechanical deformation. Three different states of pre-deformation (31 %, 39 % and 49 %) that showed induced phase transformation from austenite to α’martensite as well as the solution-annealed material were part of this study. All samples were charged with hydrogen in a 0.1 M NaOH solution. This charging took place electrolytic with 10 mA cm^-2 at three different temperatures (50 °C; 65 °C and 80 °C) in the double cell according to Devanathan and Stachurski. Due to the very slow diffusion of hydrogen through austenite, the samples were not charged until the equilibrium state was reached. To find out the necessary diffusion parameters, the data were fitted with numerical optimisation. Using this method, the effective diffusion coefficients of charging could be determined for all material states. The study also contains microscopic analyses to visualize the effect of cold working on the microstructure of the material. The appearance of α’-martensite significantly contributes to the susceptibility to hydrogen uptake leading to increasing diffusion coefficients in relation to higher pre-deformation.

Abstract: Welded flexible compensating elements made of austenitic stainless steels, such as metal hoses and bellows expansion joints, operate in a complex stress state; therefore, almost all corrosion damage of these products occurs in a stressed state. In addition, in welded joints, defects are possible associated with elastic-plastic deformations and stresses arising in the manufacturing process. Paper considers the defects of welded joints of multilayer bellows expansion joints made of stainless steels AISI 304 and AISI 316 types. The influence of the parameters of the argon tungsten electrode welding mode, with or without filler wire, on the mechanical characteristics of welded joints was studied. Mechanical tests of samples of welded joints were carried out on a tensile testing machine. The optimal range of variation of the parameters of the welding mode has been established, in which the plastic characteristics of the welded joints have maximum values. A metallographic study of the microstructure of welded joints of metal hoses and bellows expansion joints was carried out. The influence of the content of nonmetallic inclusions in the material of products on the conditions of melting and crystallization of the weld pool, contributing to the appearance of pores and hot cracks in the metal of the weld and the heat affected zone, has been established. To reduce the influence of the content of non-metallic inclusions in the weld metal and the heat-affected zone on the conditions of melting and crystallization of the weld pool, it is recommended to carry out preliminary heat treatment of the austenitic steel strip.

Abstract: Material choices for liquid lead bismuth spallation target are some of austenitic stainless steel, ferrite martensitic steel and cold-worked austenitic stainless steel. In order to ensure materials resistance to irradiation and corrosion as well as compatibility with lead bismuth, it is appropriate to lower the incident proton current density and the process temperature, in which temperature range engineering design can control to work, especially in ADS (Accelerator-Driven nuclear transmutation System) concept. The lower limit temperature is determined from the physical melting temperature and the engineering efficiency of the steam generator involved in process control. The material related issues for liquid lead bismuth are mass loss by impinging secondary flow, wettability at the device interface for ultrasonic waves application, detachable control of the slag in the flowing system, stabilized electrical resistance between the material and the liquid lead bismuth interface. Electromagnetic fluid analyses show how flow rate relates electrical resistivity of flow channel material.

Abstract: The main objective of the present work was to characterize the phases that are present after solution annealing in the microstructure of the titanium stabilized austenitic stainless steel W.-Nr. 1.4970, developed as a candidate material for fast breeder reactor fuel cladding. The crystalline structure, chemical composition, quantity, size, morphology, and distribution of the phases present in the microstructure after solution annealing heat treatments were studied in detail with the help of several complementary techniques. Chemical dissolution of the matrix has been performed using the Berzelius solution and the extracted residue has been analyzed by X-ray diffraction in a high precision camera. Three phases have been observed and identified after solution annealing heat treatments performed in the 1090 to 1300 °C temperature range, namely: (Ti,Mo)C; Ti (N,C) and Ti₄C₂S₂. The Ti-nitride and the Ti-carbosulfide did not dissolve in the steel matrix up to 1300 °C, on the other hand, the solubility of the (Ti,Mo)C raised strongly with temperature. A solution annealing heat treatment is recommended for the W. Nr. 1.4970 stainless steel.

Abstract: Austenitic stainless-steel has been widely used. Although it offers excellent corrosion resistance, processability, and nonmagnetic properties, it is inferior in terms of wear resistance and hardness. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to form iron boride on an austenitic stainless-steel surface using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) method and to evaluate its properties. The SPS method was utilized because the rapid heating involved in the process reduces the processing time. AISI 316L as a sample material was boronized for 3.6 ks at 1073 – 1273 K at applied pressures of 4 MPa and 8 MPa with a powder mixture of B₄C and KBF₄. The Vickers hardness profile results showed that the hardness of the untreated sample was ~ 200 HV whereas that of the boronized sample was ~ 2300 HV. The wear test profile showed that the wear resistance of the boronized sample was significantly improved. Moreover, according to elemental analyses, boron diffused from the sample surface to 200 μm and 60 μm when the applied pressure was 8 MPa and 4 MPa, respectively. This indicated that boron diffused to a greater depth when the applied pressure was increased.

Abstract: Is the concern with latent phenomenon of sensitization, as it exposes austenitic stainless steels to one of the most severe types of corrosion, intergranular, caused by chrome impoverishment in some regions after the material has been treated thermally in a temperature range between 450°C and 850°C. The aim of this study is to identify the conditions under which the stainless steel AISI 304 austenitic will sensitize, microstructural analysis and reactivation potentiodynamics technique by Double cycle method (DL-EPR). In steel samples were subjected to different ranges of time and temperature. The behavior of the degree of sentiment reveals that the rainfall happens so intense under the conditions under study with the exception of 900oC - 1, 2, and 6, which was observed and proven both by microstructural analysis and the DL-EPR.

Abstract: The uniaxial tensile test is often used to determine the mechanical properties of a material like its yield strength and elastic limit. However, some of the recent advances in imaging Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) modalities offer experimental tools which, apart from determining the conventional properties, also make it possible to visualise and map the dynamic strain evolution during monotonic loading and correlate it with the micro mechanisms of deformation. Infrared thermal imaging (IRT) and digital image correlation (DIC) are two such advanced NDE methods which are being widely used in experimental mechanics. Infrared thermal imaging maps the thermal gradient including the dynamic thermal transients that may occur during the tensile testing and is based on the detection of infrared radiation. Digital image correlation, a non-contact optical method based on grey value correlation before and after deformation, maps the magnitude of deformation on the surface of the object under load. In this investigation, the global and local properties of a friction stir welded joint of 304 Austenitic Stainless steel through the simultaneous application of thermal imaging and digital image correlation. By characterising the various stages of tensile deformation, this study enabled correlation of the thermal and strain evolutions and to provide deeper insights into the micro-mechanisms of the associated deformation phenomenon.

Abstract: Dissimilar metal welding (DMW) is frequently used to join stainless steels to other metals in Thermal Power Plants (TPP) and industries. DMW process has been shown to have great advantages for many years. This approach is most often used where a transition in mechanical properties and/or performance in service are required. The objective of this research is to review the basic principles of fusion welding of dissimilar metals.In experiments, the two seamless pipes with 18 mm thick, one modified SS 304L austenitic stainless steel was welded to another modified carbon steel A 106B by means of shielded metal arc (SMAW) and gas tungsten arc (GTAW) welding processes using ER309L and E 309L-16 type of filler metal. Before welding, essential variables were analysed so that creating preliminary welding procedure specifications (pWPS). After welding, weldment was tested by NDT such as visual, penetrant and radiography. Microstructural examinations were carried out including macro and micrographs, grain size analysis, and hardness measurements. Transverse tensile, and face/ root bend testing were carried out. Finally, WPS was established conformance to standards of TPP structure toward to building Nuclear Power Plant in Vietnam.

Abstract: The UK Advanced Gas Cooled nuclear reactor fleet adopted CO₂ gas as the heat transfer medium. Over the plant service life carbon diffuses into the stainless steel components as part of the overall oxidation process. This carbon enrichment promotes carbide precipitation and changes overall microstructure, thereby altering temperature deformation and fracture behaviour. Due to difficulties of replicating the high temperature/high pressure CO₂ service environment, many tests are conducted under simulated CO₂ conditions. We compare the role of a range of surrogate atmospheres on steel test specimens to one which failed in service to establish the influence of testing atmosphere on creep deformation and fracture characteristics.

Abstract: Among several existing and well established severe plastic deformation techniques, constrained groove pressing (CGP) is one of the prominent and trusted routes for producing ultrafine grained materials. In the present work medical grade 316L austenitic stainless steel sheet of 3 mm thickness was subjected to CGP up to two cycles. Samples obtained as a result of processing were investigated both experimentally and numerically through finite element (FE) analysis using DEFORM-3D software. XRD study revealed the transformation of austenitic phase to martensitic phase. Tensile and hardness tests were conducted to see the effect of processing on mechcanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength increases with the number of CGP passes from 767 (solution annealed) to 1162 MPa (after 2 cycles), similarly, yield strength increases from 269 (as received) to 328 MPa (after 2 cycles). Finite element analysis showed an imposed strain of 2.30 with standard deviation of 0.31 after two cycle of CGP is in coordination with experimental measured strain of 2.32.