Materials Science Forum Vols. 654-656

Abstract: The effects of grain boundary serration on grain coarsening and liquation behavior in simulated weld heat-affected-zone (HAZ) of a wrought Ni-based superalloy Alloy 263 have been investigated. Recently, the present authors have found that grain boundary serration occurs in the absence of adjacent coarse γ' particles or M23C6 carbides when a specimen is direct-aged with a combination of slow cooling from solution treatment temperature to aging temperature. This serration leads to a change in grain boundary character as special boundary based on the crystallographic analysis demonstrating that the grain boundaries tend to serrate to have specific segments approaching to one {111} low-index plane at a boundary. The present study was initiated to investigate the interdependence of the serration and HAZ property with a consideration of this serration as a potential for the use of a damage-tolerant microstructure. It was found that the serrated grain boundaries suppress effectively grain coarsening, and are highly resistant to liquation cracking in HAZ due to their lower tendency to be wetted and penetrated by the liquid phase. These results reflect closely a significant decrease in interfacial energy as well as grain boundary configuration by the serration.

Abstract: Phase-field simulation of phase transformation during creep in Type 304 austenitic steel is performed and simultaneous nucleation and growth of both M23C6 carbide and ferromagnetic α phases are reproduced. Nucleation events of these product phases are explicitly introduced through a probabilistic Poisson seeding process based on the classical nucleation theory. Creep dislocation energy near the carbide is integrated into the nucleation driving force for the α phase. We examine the effect of the dislocation density on precipitation of the α phase, and it is found that a small difference in the dislocation density leads to a significant change in precipitation behavior of the α phase.

Abstract: Pre-alloyed powders with a nominal composition of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb+1W were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). After the HIP process, a step cooled heat treatment (SCHT) with a carefully controlled cooling rate was applied to homogenize the HIP’ed microstructure and produce a fully lamellar microstructure. Following the SCHT, various isothermal aging at 950 °C and step aging processes form interfacial precipitates at the lamellar interfaces. The morphology, size, and distribution of the precipitates are dependent on the aging condition. Creep tests were carried out in air at 760 °C and 276 MPa to investigate the effect of interfacial precipitates. Primary creep resistance and creep life of the 8 and 144 hr aged conditions are improved substantially compared to the unaged condition due to the existence of the interfacial precipitates. However, the step aging process improves the creep resistance only slightly, probably because of the size and distribution differences of the interfacial precipitates compared to the 144 hr aged condition. Microstructure control is important since it has a substantial influence on creep behavior, especially primary creep resistance.

Abstract: The microstructure and creep properties of two powder metallurgy (PM) ‘beta gamma’ titanium aluminide alloys are presented. Alloy powders with nominal compositions of TiAl-4Nb-3Mn (G1) and TiAl-2Nb-2Mo (G2) were produced by gas atomization and consolidated by a two-step hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process (1250 °C/200 MPa/1 hour + 1100 °C/200 MPa/3 hours + slow cooling to room temperature). After HIP, the materials were given a step cooled heat treatment (SCHT) of 40 min at 1400 °C, furnace cooling to 1280 °C, and air cooling to room temperature. Selected specimens were aged at 900 °C for 6 or 24 hours. The SCHT yielded similar fully lamellar microstructures for both alloys, with a lamellar spacing of 0.04 m, but with different grain sizes averaging 80 m (G1) and 40 m (G2). The aging treatments generated  precipitates along lamellar colony boundaries in both alloys, but along lamellar interfaces only in alloy G2. Constant load tensile creep tests were performed at 760 °C and 276 MPa. Alloy G2 exhibited superior creep performance compared to alloy G1, due to the quantity and size of  precipitate particles at the lamellar interfaces.

Abstract: In this paper we will try to further clarify the creep-strength degradation of selected advanced creep resistant steels. In order to accelerate some microstructural changes and thus to simulate degradation processes in long-term service, isothermal ageing at 650°C for 10000 h was applied to P91, P92 and P23 steels in their as-received states. The accelerated tensile creep tests were performed at temperature 600°C in argon atmosphere on all steels in the as-received state and after long-term isothermal ageing, in an effort to obtain a more complete description of the role of microstructural stability in high temperature creep of these steels. Creep tests were followed by microstructural investigations by means of both transmission and scanning electron microscopy and by the thermodynamic calculations. It is suggested that microstructural instability is the main detrimental process in the long-term degradation of the creep rupture strength of these steels.

Abstract: Creep behavior for Alloy 617, which is considered as one of the major structural materials of a very high temperature reactor, was investigated in air at 950oC. Creep experimental data was obtained by a series of creep tests with different stress levels at 950oC. Alloy 617 revealed little primary creep strains and unclear secondary creep stages. A tertiary creep stage was initiated from a low strain level and was dominant in full creep curves. The creep constants of A, n, m, and C in Norton’s power law and Monkman-Grant relationships were determined. In microstructure observations of crept specimens, it was found that a Cr2O3 oxidation layer was formed on the surface, and just beneath the Cr2O3 layer, an internal Al-oxide sub layer was formed with rod shapes. Also, below the internal sub layer, a thick carbide-depleted zone was developed due to reaction of the chromia and carbide precipitates. The thickness of the outer Cr-oxide layer increased with increasing creep rupture times. The increasing tendency showed a smooth slope like a parabolic curve.

Abstract: An investigation has been made into the microstructure and creep behaviors of [110] oriented single crystal nickel-base superalloy. Results show that, after a full heat treated, the cubic  phase is coherently embedded in the matrix and regularly arranged along the <100> orientation. During creep, the cubic phase in the alloy is transformed into the rafted structure lying 45 relative to the direction of the applied stress. Under the condition of the applied stress of 137 MPa at 1040°C, the alloy displays a higher strain rate and shorter creep lifetime. The deformation mode of the alloy during creep is dislocations activated within the matrix channels and the rafted phase. Dislocation slip activated easily on the Roof-type channel is thought to be the main reason of the alloy having higher strain rate and shorter creep lifetime.

Abstract: In this paper, a series of statistical studies were conducted on creep crack growth behavior of Grade 9Cr-1Mo steel for next generation reactor. Creep crack growth tests were performed on pre-cracked compact tension (CT) specimens under the applied load ranges from 3800 to 5000N at the identical temperature condition of 600oC. The creep crack growth behavior has been analyzed statistically using the empirical equation between crack growth rate da/dt and C* parameter, namely da/dt=B(C*)q. First, the determination methods of B and q obtained from experiments were investigated by the least square fitting method and the mean value method. The probability distribution functions of B and q have been investigated using the normal, log-normal and Weibull distribution. The constant B and q are followed well 2-parameter Weibull. Second, the creep crack growth rate data were generated by Monte-Carlo simulation method assuming the 2-parameter Weibull in B and q parameters. The probability distribution of creep crack growth rate for arbitrary C* parameter values seems to follow well Weibull distribution.

Abstract: In order to evaluate the effects of a pro-eutectoid ferrite content on the tensile strength and impact toughness of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V steels, several samples with a different area fraction of ferrite in the range from 0 to 80% were prepared by a control of cooling rate from an austenitization heat treatment temperature of 930oC. The steels were then tempered at 690oC, followed by a heat treatment at 705oC as a simulation of postweld heat treatments. The results of microstructural observation indicated that the ferrite was uniformly distributed in the bainitic matrix. The results of tensile tests revealed that the tensile strength at room temperature and 450oC was slightly reduced with the ferrite content of up to 20%, but it was considerably reduced with the ferrite content of 80%. On the other hand, the results of impact tests at -60, -80 and -100oC indicated that the impact toughness was rapidly degraded with increasing ferrite content. These results attributed to the segregation of carbides in the bainitic matrix as a result of the formation of ferrite phase with low solubility of carbon. It is concluded that the ferrite content in the 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V steels could exert a sensitive inference on the impact toughness rather than on tensile properties.

Abstract: This study aimed to assess creep crack growth rates on the base and welded metals of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel. For this purpose, welded specimens were prepared by the Shielded Metal Arc Weld method. To obtain mechanical properties concerning the base and welded metals, a series of creep and tensile tests were conducted at 600 °C, and creep crack growth tests were also performed under different applied loads using 1/2" compact tension specimens at 600 °C. Their creep crack growth rates were calculated using the empirical equation of the da/dt vs. C* parameter and compared. It appeared that, for a given value of C*, the rate of creep crack propagation was about 2.0 times faster in the welded metal than the base metal. This reason was that the welded metal was faster in the creep strain rate than the base metal.