Papers by Keyword: Austenitic Stainless Steel

Abstract: The present work deals with plastic deformation of 316L austenitic stainless steel (ASS) using room temperature rolling process. After solution treatment (annealing) as-received 316L ASS has been rolled for up to 90% of thickness reduction. To investigate the effect of processing on mechanical properties microstructural study, tensile and hardness tests have been conducted. The ultimate tensile strength has been improved from 767 MPa (before deformation) to 1420 MPa (after 90% deformation), and hardness value has been increased from 208 VHN (before deformation) to 449 VHN (after 90% reduction). Magnetic measurements and XRD characterization have been performed to confirm the formation of martensitic phase. Finite element analysis have also been simulated employing DEFORM-3D software to get the insight about deformation behavior. Keywords: Room temperature rolling, Finite Element Analysis, Mechanical properties, Austenitic stainless steel.

Abstract: In this paper, we present the results of plasma nitriding treatments on austenitic stainless steel substrates previously coated with a patterned silicon oxide layer. For this purpose, masks were made by PECVD for the deposition of a silicon oxide layer on polished austenitic AISI 316L samples. For the final nitriding treatment, we used a multi-dipolar plasma providing independent substrate polarization. The interactions between expanded austenite and fixed silicon oxide mask in different shapes (circular and square dots) are observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the same area before and after the nitriding treatment. After this thermochemical treatment, we obtain strong distortions of the dots, in particular at the edges of the larger size dots. The role of elastic deformation, due to the expanded austenitic phase formed by the diffusion of nitrogen under the mask is of primary importance.

Abstract: Quasi-cleavage facets have been detected in the stress corrosion cracking fracture of type 304 and type 316 austenitic stainless steels under an environment containing chloride. Their morphology and crystal orientation were analyzed. In both steels the cold-worked material (CW) showed higher crack propagation rate than annealed one (ST), where the variation of the propagated crystal planes of the CW was higher than that of the ST, and the {111} facet was detected in the CW. Then the CW reveals higher possibilities to choose a low energy crack path rather than the ST. The rearrangement and multiply of {111} dislocation arrays may introduce the {111} transgranular cracking in the CW, and the combining duplex {111} slip operations may result in the {110} facet.

Abstract: Electropolishing is an attractive method for surface smoothing of cardiovascular stent. This study investigated the effect of times of electropolishing on the surface characteristics both are upper surface and surface of the strut of cardiovascular stent after the by die sinking electrical discharge machining (EDM). The observed surface characteristics of the strut were recast layer, surface roughness and brightness. The weight analysis, and the reduction of the width strut were conducted. The recast layer was analyzed by optical microscope qualitatively, the surface roughness was measured by surface texture measuring instrument, the weight analysis and the reduction of width strut were calculated. The stent was made from steel AISI 316 L. The times which were used in the electropolishing were 3 minutes, 7 minutes, and 11 minutes. The experimental results show that the time for smoothing and brightening of stent at room temperature and low voltage 5 V is 7 minutes. The times affect the upper and EDM surface roughness, the weight of stent and the width of strut. The results show that increasing of times, than the value of surface roughness, the weight of stent and the width of strut will decrease, and vice versa. The average surface roughness of EDM surface after electropolishing is in the range of 3.49 – 1.62 µm. The average surface roughness of upper surface after electropolishing is in the range of 0.55-0.22 µm. The weight analysis show that the loss of weight is in the range of 0.12-1.12 %, and the reduction of width strut is in the range of 11.02 – 69.3 %.

Abstract: The effect of electrode coating on austenitic stainless steel weld metal properties was studied. Manual metal arc welding method was used to produce the joints with the tungsten inert gas welding serving as the control. Metallographic and chemical analyses of the fusion zones of the joints were conducted. Results indicate that the weldment produced from E 308-16/12 lime-titania electrode has a higher ductility and strength of about 36% in terms of percentage elongation and 517 N/mm² respectively, compared to 26% and 18% and 475 N/mm² and 425 N/mm² respectively, obtained from weldments produced from E 308-16/10 rutile and E 308-16/12 rutile electrodes respectively. The presence of lime which is a slag former in E 308-16/12 lime-titania electrode was relevant in slowing down the cooling rate of both the weld pool and the just solidified weld metal resulting in the overall improvement of the resultant weld metal properties. It was found that the values of the strain hardening exponent were 0.379 for E 308-16 gauge 10, rutile electrode, 0.406 for E 308-16 gauge 12 rutile electrode, 0.382 for TIG welding, 0.353 for E 308–16 gauge 12, lime-titania electrode, 0.435 for E 310-16 gauge 10, rutile electrode. E 310 – 16 gauge 10, rutile electrode had the greatest strength and strain hardening coefficients of 1180 N/mm² and 0.435 respectively, and will be more amenable to cold working. Keywords: Austenitic stainless steel, microstructure, electrode coating, welding, joints.

Abstract: In this work, two samples of service grade Esshete 1250 stainless steel, as-received and aged, were characterised to determine the microstructural differences between the parent material and weld in terms of the grain structures and the phases present using XRD, EBSD, SEM and EDS. There was no difference found in the grain structure, but the phases present in the aged weld showed that sigma phase developed during aging.

Abstract: In recent years, the efficient grain size refinement in austenitic stainless steels by the martensitic reversion process and the mechanical properties achieved in a laboratory-scale have been investigated extensively. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of this processing in an industrial-scale, a commercial 18Cr-7Ni-0.15N Type 301LN steel was cold rolled to various relative low thickness reductions (32–56%) to obtain 70–95% deformation induced martensite and subsequently annealed in an industrial-scale pilot induction line at the peak temperatures of 660–820 °C. Some sheets were subsequently cold rolled 10–20% to compare the mechanical properties with those of the commercial strengthened grades. Results showed that the induction annealing at around 700 °C can produce reversed structures with much enhanced tensile and fatigue strengths compared to those of the commercial steel. The stability of the grain-refined austenite is lower than that in the commercial steel, but still cold rolling strengthening remains ineffective.

Abstract: Creep damage processes for smooth and notched specimen of austenitic stainless steel through interrupted creep tests using multiple specimens. The material used was 18-8 stainless steel for boiler tube use. The mid-sections of interrupted creep test specimens were observed through SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) instrumented with EBSD(Electron BackScatter Diffraction patter) equipment. IPF(Inverse Pole Figure) maps, Phase maps and GOS(Grain Orientation Spread) maps were used for investigating creep damage process. For smooth specimen, the relationship between macroscopic creep time fraction and GOS averaged for all pixels showed linearity, while the relationship between creep strain and the averaged GOS showed non-linearity regressed by Green function successfully. For notched specimen, the EBSD maps became noisy possibly due to extensive phase transformation under highly concentrated notch stress. Obtained GOS data for gamma phase only showed non-monotonic change with time and nominal strain. The evaluated local strains in the vicinity of the notch showed relatively small amount, which might cause the very long creep life compared with smooth specimen under the same nominal stress condition.

Abstract: X-ray line profile analysis was performed to evaluate the microstructural characteristics of low-cycle fatigued austenitic stainless steel, AISI 316. Strains were frequently applied to the specimens with three levels of the total strain ranges, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03. The dislocation densities at the number of cycles for each strain condition were obtained by X-ray line profile analysis. In the case that the strain range was small, that is Δε = 0.01, dislocation densities were slightly increased until 53% of life time with the cycles, and then decreased. In the case that the strain ranges were 0.02 and 0.03, the dislocation densities were steeply increased during the first stage of the life time until around 10%. However, the variations after n/N_f ≃ 10% were different each other. In the case of Δε = 0.02, dislocation density did not increase significantly until the end of the life. But in the case of Δε = 0.03, the dislocation density monotonously increased until the end of the life. These tendencies agreed with the variations of stress amplitude. The relationship between dislocation density and stress amplitude could be expressed as Δσ/2 = 1.14ρ^1/2 + 207 (Δσ [MPa], ρ^1/2 [m⁻²]).

Abstract: Hydrogen is increasingly considered as fuel for future mobility or for stationary applications. However, the safe distribution and storage of pure hydrogen is only possible with suitable materials. Interstitially dissolved hydrogen atoms in the lattice of numerous metals are responsible for hydrogen embrittlement (HE). If hydrogen is introduced by an external source, it is called hydrogen environment embrittlement (HEE). Commonly, steels like AISI 316L with a high resistance to HEE include a large number of alloying elements and in high amount. High alloying levels result in a decrease of cost-efficiency. Therefore, the systematic investigation of lean-alloyed austenitic stainless steels is necessary in order to understand the mechanism of HEE. For that purpose, the steel grades AISI 304L and AISI 316L are selected in this work. Tensile tests in air and 400 bar hydrogen gas atmospheres are performed. After tensile testing in H, AISI 304L revealed secondary cracks at the specimen surface, which are related to the local austenite stability, which in turn is affected by the level of micro-segregation. The microstructural investigations of the crack environment directly contribute to the understanding of the micro-mechanisms of HEE. Property-maps generated from experimentally measured distributions of alloying elements allow to correlate the impact of micro-segregations on the local austenite stability. It is shown, that local segregation-bands affect the initiation and propagation of secondary cracks. In this context, the local austenite stability which is significantly affected by the Ni distribution will be discussed in detail by comparison of the metastable austenitic steel grades AISI 304L and AISI 316L.