Papers by Keyword: P92 Steel

Abstract: The operational integrity of supercritical steam power units necessitates comprehensive understanding of welded joint behaviour under high-temperature service conditions. Advanced steam cycle technology requires meticulous periodic evaluation of pressure-bearing components to ensure structural integrity throughout extended service periods. This requirement is particularly critical for components subjected to the most severe operational parameters, including superheater tubes, main steam pipelines, and steam collectors operating above critical temperature. For pressure components not directly exposed to exhaust gases, microstructural degradation represents the primary degradation mechanism governing component lifespan.P92 (X10CrWMoVNb9-2) steel, characterized by a tempered martensitic microstructure with 9% chromium content, has been extensively utilized for high-pressure applications in supercritical steam power generation systems. This advanced creep-resistant steel demonstrates superior mechanical properties, including exceptional high-temperature strength retention, oxidation resistance, and creep rupture strength under prolonged thermal exposure.Welded joints of pressure elements in steam boilers are potentially the weakest points when assessing their service life. These joints exhibit enhanced susceptibility to microstructural degradation and mechanical properties deterioration, particularly within the heat-affected zone (HAZ), during extended high-temperature operation. Therefore, systematic material characterization of welded joints relative to base material performance is essential for understanding long-term degradation mechanisms.This investigation presents systematic creep testing methodology and experimental results for P92 welded joint specimens subjected to annealing at temperatures of 600°C and 650°C for durations up to 10,000 hours. Both abridged and long-term creep tests were performed with the results of determination of creep strength and creep speed in steady state.

Abstract: The structural integrity of ASTM P92 steel welded joints is of concern due to the Type IV cracking associated with the heat-affected zone (HAZ). Two HAZ treatments were done on P92 steel using a Gleeble^® 3500 thermo-mechanical simulator at 900°C (intercritical HAZ) and 950°C (fine-grained HAZ). Followed by post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) of the samples in two sets:: a conventional PWHT at 760°C for 2 hours followed by air cooling; or re-austenitisation at 1050°C for 40 minutes then air cooling, followed PWHT. After conventional PWHT, the HAZ simulated at 950°C had the lowest toughness (108J) than the base metal (130J). After the heat treatments, samples that underwent a 900°C HAZ simulation had higher Charpy toughness (improved from 130-208 ± 6J) and lower hardness (decreased from 234.4-222.3HV_0.5) than those at 950°C. The microstructures had lath martensite with differing precipitate densities depending on the thermal treatment. Keywords: P92 steel, heat affected zone, post-weld heat treatment, precipitates

Abstract: The microstructure evolution during aging at high temperatures is usually used to thermodynamically simulate those cases of aging at low temperatures but for a very long time for P92 steel, because high temperature can accelerate the microstructure process. Therefore, in the present research, in order to comprehensively understand the microstructure evolution mechanisms during aging at especially high temperatures, the as-tempered P92 steel was exposed at 790 °C. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the microstructures. The dominant mechanisms at the four stages in microstructure evolution process during thermal exposure are (I) dislocation annihilation, (II) lath broadening and equiaxed subgrain nucleation, (III) equiaxed subgrain growth, (IV) recrystallization nucleation and growth. The martensitic lath broadening is dominated by both the motion of “Y”-type lath boundary and the combination of parallel lath boundary. The subgrain growth is by virtue of both the combination of the equiaxed subgrain and the bowing out of subgrain boundary.

Abstract: Precipitate phases in the P92 F/M steel after normalization at 1323 K (1050 °C) for 30 min followed by air cooling to room temperature have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Three types of phases consisting of M₃C, MX and M₂C have been identified. Needle-like Fe-rich M₃C carbide, (Fe_0.87Cr_0.13)₃C, has a simple orthorhombic lattice, and a size of 7-18 nm in short axis and 73-190 nm in long axis. Sphere-shaped Nb-rich MC carbide with a f.c.c. crystal structure has a chemical formula of about (Nb_0.69V_0.15Fe_0.1Mo_0.06)C and a size of 12 to 88 nm in diameter. Large-sized Fe-rich M₂C phase exhibits a block-like shape, and has a hexagonal crystal structure. TEM examination indicated that the number density of both the Fe-rich M₃C carbide and Nb-rich MX phase is higher than Fe-rich M₂C carbide phase.

Abstract: The microstructure and creep behaviour of the welded joints of P92 steel pipe were investigated in order to determine the influence of orbital heat welding technology on the creep resistance. Creep specimens were machined from the welded joints. Tensile creep tests of welded joints were performed at 873 K using different stresses. The microstructure of tested specimens was investigated by scanning electron microscope Tescan equipped with an electron-back scatter diffraction. The creep results showed that the creep fracture strain of the welded joints decreases with decreasing value of applied stress. Microstructure investigation showed that fracture behaviour of welded joints is influenced by an enhanced cavity formation at grain boundaries in the heat-affected zone causing lower fracture ductility.

Abstract: In order to find out the causes of weld cracks in the main steam pipe welded joint of a power plant, a series of relevant tests are specially formulated, which include room temperature tensile and high temperature tensile test, room temperature impact test, the crack tip metallographic observation, crack fracture scanning electron microscope observation, oxide film thickness measurement, and so on. By analyzing the metallographic photographs of the crack, the crack character is preliminarily determined. In addition, the direction of crack extension is determined by the thickness of oxide film in different parts. The crack failure mechanism has been identified. The results show that the welding heat crack occurs in 1# crack initiation position; and the crack initiation in 2# weld crack (primary crack) position is caused by the root defect of welding seam and lead to a high brittleness, which results in the crack failure by crack propagating in operational process gradually.

Abstract: The P92 steels were aged at 632°C for 500hrs and 1,000hrs, and creep ruptured at 650°C~625°C with stress of 120~110 MPa. The creep rupture life (CRL) of the aged samples was decreased with the aged time. The microstructure of the P92 steel was observed as fine tempered lath with dispersion of Cr-rich M₂₃C₆ along various grain boundaries. Upon aging and creep, recovery of lath and precipitation of coarse W-rich Laves phase were characterized as the main microstructural change. The M₂₃C₆ is relatively stable upon the short-term aging and creep. Decrease of the CRL of the aged specimens is considered as the degradations of microstructure such as the recovery of lath due to the dislocation annihilation and precipitation of coarse Laves phase.

Abstract: This paper presents a study on thermal-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of P92 T-piece pipe at the most critical working fluctuations. Pressure and temperature in out-of-phase (OP) and in-phase (IP) conditions were both taken into account. Cyclic plasticity model considering the effect of temperature were used, in which both effects of kinematic hardening and isotropic hardening were included. All of the parameters used in the simulation were obtained from high temperature low cycle fatigue tests (HTLCF). These parameters have been validated through the comparison of experiment data with the simulated data. Then, in order to investigate the effect of OP and IP loadings, thermal-mechanical fatigue finite element model (FEM) of P92 T-piece pipe was also developed. Simulated results reveal that at the most critical working fluctuations, the most dangerous position occurs at the region where the inner surface of horizontal pipe and branch pipe crossed for both IP and OP loadings. With the cycle increases, the equivalent plastic strain is increasing. The peak hoop stress and equivalent plastic strain at IP loading are higher than OP which indicates that IP loadings are more dangerous than OP loadings.

Abstract: Strain controlled uniaxial low cycle fatigue (LCF) tests of P92 steel were conducted at strain amplitudes of 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% in fully reversed manner with strain rate of 1.0×10^-3s^-1 at high temperature of 650 °C. Cyclic softening behavior was studied and time-independent cyclic plasticity model was used to represent the cyclic mechanical behavior of this steel. Material parameters were determined step by step at higher strain amplitude of 0.8%, experimental data with lower strain amplitude were used to validate the extrapolation of the model. Comparison of the simulated and experimental results shows that the proposed model can give a reasonable prediction of stress-strain hysteresis loop for P92 steel at high temperature.

Abstract: Uniaxial creep tests on micro-regions of P92 steel base metal and welding HAZ specimens were carried out at 923 K and under different stress levels. The creep equation of index of B and n was obtained from the test data fitted by using least square method. Then, creep crack growth tests based on the reference stress method on P92 steel base metal and welding HAZ compact tensile samples were carried out at 923 K and under stress intensity factor K of 18 MPa·m^1/2. From the calculated and experimental data, it was found that a good relationship existed between the creep crack growth rate da/dc and high temperature creep fracture parameter C*. The reference stress method was verified to calculate the C* of compact tension specimens and can predict the creep crack growth rate of the P92 steel base metal and welding HAZ materials under steady state creep conditions. At the same time, high temperature defect evaluation parameters of D₀ and Φ were obtained by fitting the linear parts in the relation curves using the log-log method. This study provides tests data on the defects evaluation and life prediction of P92 steel welding materials.