Characterization of incubation time on creep crack growth for weldments of P92

Most structures are mainly fabricated by welding which are likely to be regions of crack initiation and propagation. In such weldment, it is known that the multi-axial stress fields appear due to the plastic constraint induced by the differences in material micro-structure between the weld metal, heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal. In the present study, the experiments of creep crack growth tests and the structural mechanical analyses of weldment were conducted to understand the effects of stress multi-axiality of weldment on the characteristics of creep crack growth, creep deformation and creep ductility. Additionally, to characterize the time of creep crack initiation up to the start of a brittle type creep crack growth, the distribution of stress multi-axiality (TF) through the base metal, fine-grain HAZ, coarse-grain HAZ to weld metal were investigated.     

Through-thickness creep damage in a service-exposed header of 2.25Cr1 Mo steel

A creep damage investigation was made on a service-exposed header of 2.25Cr 1Mo steel with a service time of 200 000 h. Weldments and the flanged parts at both outer and inner surfaces were studied as well as the damage in the through-thickness direction. Extensive cavitation was observed not only at the outer surface, but also well inside the component in the weldments. A model for the prediction of rupture position is introduced to explain the appearance of the observed creep damage.     

The effect of stress relaxation loading cycles on the creep behaviour of 2.25Cr-1Mo pressure vessel steel

This paper investigates the effects of repeated stress relaxation loadings and post stress relaxation creep to assess the stress relaxation-creep interaction and microstructural evolution of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel. Prior to creep testing, the microstructure of the material subjected to stress relaxation exhibited a structure which was non-conservative in predicting the remaining creep life of the material. The results obtained in the test program showed that the damage due to the effects of stress relaxation was crucial and had a significant effect on the creep life of this material. The study has also shown that the extent of metallurgical degradation, due to stress relaxation, may not be evident through microstructural assessment. Consequently, established life assessment procedures may not represent conservative estimates of remaining life because the microstructural indicators of damage, due to stress relaxation, are not evident.The effects of stress relaxation on the creep properties of ferritic pressure vessel steel are life limiting for critical high temperature power generation plant. In this study a comprehensive test program has been undertaken to assess the interaction of stress relaxation with creep and microstructural evolution in 2.25Cr-1Mo steel.     

Effect of boron on the hot ductility of 2.25Cr1Mo steel

The effect of boron on the hot ductility of 2.25Cr1Mo steel is investigated by means of a Gleeble 2000 thermomechanical simulator. There is a trough in the hot ductility–temperature curve, which is located between 1000 and 700 °C. The ductility trough shifts to lower temperatures with increasing boron content and the hot brittle range becomes shallow and narrow. In general, boron may improve the steel hot ductility in that it may retard the formation of pro-eutectoid ferrite and increase grain boundary cohesion. These effects may be related to the segregation of boron to austenite grain boundaries.     

Influence of phosphorus on the hot ductility of 2.25Cr1Mo steel

Abstract

The effect of phosphorus at two levels (0.01 and 0.06 wt-%) on the hot ductility of 2.25Cr1Mo steel has been investigated over the temperature range 700-1200 °C using a Gleeble machine. Auger electron spectroscopy indicated that phosphorus segregation to austenite grain boundaries had occurred in the higher phosphorus steel. A trough in the ductility - temperature curve was observed for both steels with the minimum ductility occurring at about 750 °C. The higher P containing steel gave the worst ductility throughout the temperature range examined. The ductility trough was caused by the formation of a thin pro-eutectoid ferrite layer along austenite grain boundaries, and this trough was accentuated by the presence of phosphorus at the austenite grain boundaries.     

Creep properties of 12% Cr and improved 9% Cr weldments

Martensitic Cr-alloyed high-temperature materials offer interesting opportunities for design and construction of advanced power plants. An extensive research programme has been carried out at the Research Centre of the Belgian Welding Institute and Laborelec on martensitic 12% Cr steel for gaining a better understanding of the failure mode and the deformation mechanism of welded joints under uniaxial and multiaxial loads. A large number of pipe girth welds were realized by three Belgian manufacturers (Cockerill Mechanical Industries, Fabricom and Mannesmann-Carnoy). Different filler metals were used and the influence of the welding regime (austenitic and martensitic), the post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) (single or double) and the base metal wall thickness on the high-temperature properties of the different weldments was evaluated. It was found that the creep properties of a 12% Cr weldment are not influenced by the welding regime and the base metal wall thickness. As would be expected, the creep strengths of the original 12% Cr base metal as well as the temperature of the PWHT have some effect. The existence of a typical failure in the intercritical zone (type IV region) is demonstrated and explained. The consequences for the design of welded 12% Cr components are indicated. More recently the research was extended towards improved 9% Cr steel (T91). A rather small preliminary programme for the orientation of further research showed a similar failure location as for 12% Cr steel, although the observed loss in strength of the weldment compared to the base metal tended to be considerably lower. The so-called ‘half-tempering’ treatment was tried out and the effect on the creep strength of the weldment is shown. A more fundamental national research programme on P91 steel has been established and is actually running.     

Cr9Mo和Cr5Mo钢的等温氧化行为

对铸态和锻态的Ｃｒ９Ｍｏ和Ｃｒ５Ｍｏ钢分别在７００℃、８００℃和９００℃下进行了为时５００ｈ的氧化试验。结果表明，在７００℃、８００℃下Ｃｒ９Ｍｏ的抗氧化性能比Ｃｒ５Ｍｏ的优越得多，而在９００℃下则相差不多。两种钢的抗氧化性能的差别主要是其表面氧化物性质不同所致。铸态和锻态抗氧化性能的差别则是由于其合金元素分布的均匀度不同，致使氧化物结构有差异造成的。     

Estimating the remanent creep life of power plant components

This paper examines the current status of remanent creep life assessment methods for power plant components. Consideration is given mainly to predictive techniques based on post-service examination and testing with application to low alloy ferritic components in fossil plant. The requirements for producing methodologies, namely the development of mechanistic and parametric models for creep damage and failure, are discussed together with aspects on the measurement of the relevant creep damage feature or property. Techniques considered include physical and mechanical property measurement, metallographic examination, strain measurement, and accelerated creep and rupture testing. Methods based on accelerated testing are discussed in detail; extrapolative techniques and application of the life fraction rule are considered both from an experimental and mechanistic viewpoint. Finally, attention is given to the choice of representative stress to apply to uniaxial data. The influence of material parameters on the representative stress is emphasized and upper and lower bounds appropriate to creep brittle and creep ductile material states are considered.     

High temperature stability of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel during creep

The creep rapture behaviour of 2.25Cr—1Mo steel in air and in a salt mixture was studied. The salt coating, which can form a liquid phase at the test temperatures, increased the creep rate and reduced the rupture life of the material. The coating reduced the available cross-section of the material by removing the surface layers, thereby resulting in a reduction of the rupture life. Cross-sections of coated samples showed an outer oxide layer comprising oxide of the metal and precipitates of sulphide at the metal/oxide interface. This subsurface penetration of the corrodants was responsible for the early failure of the coated samples. This is typical of hot corrosion mechanisms. The formation of various carbides like M₂₃C₆ and M₆C, as observed by transmission electron microscopy, during creep reduced the creep strength of the material both in air and in the coated state. Increasing temperature enhanced the formation of these carbides with a consequent decrease in creep strength. Applied stress did not seem to play much of a role in the degree of carbide precipitation.     

Interpretation of creep crack initiation and growth data for weldments

Creep crack growth testing of macroscopically homogeneous materials is well established and standardised test procedures are detailed in ASTM E1457. In ASTM E1457 the use of the compact tension C(T) specimen is specified and crack growth data are interpreted using the fracture mechanics parameter C^∗. The resulting benchmark crack growth data are used in assessment procedures, together with estimates of the value of C^∗ in the component, to predict creep crack growth behaviour. In this work, the results of a series of creep crack growth tests performed on a Type 316 stainless steel weldment at a temperature of 550 °C are presented. The initial crack is located within the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the weldment. Since there are currently no agreed methods for determining C^∗ in inhomogeneous laboratory specimens, this paper examines the application of procedures in ASTM E1457 for the characterisation of crack growth in weldments. In addition, the creep toughness parameter is evaluated for the material. It is shown that the creep crack growth rates in the weldment may be described by the C^∗ values obtained following ASTM E1457 in conjunction with parent material properties. Comparison of the results with similar data for Type 316H stainless steel parent material shows that the crack growth rates for the crack located within the HAZ are higher and the initiation times lower than the parent values, for the range of test conditions examined. Simple analytical models based on ductility exhaustion arguments have been shown to bound the crack initiation and growth data for the weldment.     

Elevated temperature creep behavior of three rapidly solidified Al-Fe-Si materials containing Cr, Mn, or Mo

Research on the high temperature creep behavior of three rapidly solidified Al-Fe-X-Si (where X = Cr, Mn or Mo) dispersion strengthened materials with three different alloying compositions has been conducted. Firstly, microstructural examinations have been carried out on the as-received, thermally treated and tested samples. The microstructure consists of a fine Al matrix embedding small round-shaped Al₁₂(Fe,X)₃Si and Al₁₃(Fe,X)₄ dispersoids. Grain sizes ranging from 0.85 to 1.45 μm and dispersoid sizes ranging from 45 to 54 nm were observed. Secondly, tensile tests were performed at high temperature from 573 to 823 K at strain rates ranging from 2.5×10⁻⁶ to 10⁻²s⁻¹. The experimental data exhibited high apparent stress exponent, n_ap, and high activation energy, Q_ap. The rnicrostructure remained stable and fine after testing. The results are analyzed by means of various models used in the literature.     

Long-term creep strength predictions from short-term creep test data for high Cr creep-resistant steels and microstructural evolution origin of over-predictions

A new tensile creep model that integrates the tensile strength at creep temperature is investigated for its generic applicability in predicting the long-term creep strengths from short-term creep test data for high Cr creep-resistant steels using creep and tensile strength data measured for a grade of 11Cr steel. The results show that, when the long-term creep strengths are specified by stresses producing the required minimum creep rate, they can be accurately predicted using short-term creep test data. However, when they are specified by stresses giving the required creep rupture time, using only short-term creep test data will lead to over-predictions. The microstructure evolution origin of such over-predictions is traced to the Z-phase precipitation during creep in creep-resistant steels with more than 9 wt.% Cr. The conventional concept on the relationship between creep test stress and creep mechanisms is also re-evaluated in light of the new results.     

Effects of creep properties of materials on creep crack-tip constraint parameter R*

Extensive finite element analyses have been conducted to investigate the effect of creep properties of materials on the creep crack-tip constraint parameter R*. The results show that the parameter R* increases with increasing power law creep stress exponent n of materials, and it is sensitive to lower n values and lower in-plane and out-of-plane constraints. In the engineering estimations of the creep constraint parameter R*, only the creep exponent effect needs to be considered for cracked components with lower exponent n and lower constraint, and the Norton’s coefficient A of power law creep materials can be ignored due to its insensitivity to the R*. The R*-n relation formulae have been established for single-edge-notched tension specimen (it has similar constraint level to pressurised pipes) with different in-plane and out-of-plane constraints, and they may be used to estimate the creep crack-tip constraint levels for cracked pipes with lower exponent n and lower constraint.     

Effects of rejuvenation heat treatment on microstructure and creep property of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy

Both surface and internal microstructures of a second-generation Ni-based single crystal(SX) superalloy were studied after creep and rejuvenation heat treatment(RHT).It is indicated that the microstructures,such as the dislocation network,the γ phase and the γ' phase,can be recovered to those after the standard heat treatment(SHT).It is found that RHT affected zone(RAZ) formed at the surface is composed of theγ'-free layer,the transition layer and the recrystallization(RX),which are less than 20 μm in depth totally.Such depth of the RAZ doesn't affect the properties of the superalloy.The morphology of γ' phase at the RAZ is related to the composition of the elements.The average creep life after RHT is close to the average life after SHT.It is concluded that RHT could effectively repair SX parts and increase the total life of the sample after a damage by creep.     

热处理状态对2.25Cr1Mo钢断裂韧度和裂纹扩展速率的影响

分析了不同热处理状态对2.25Cr1Mo钢断裂韧度(KJIC)和裂纹扩展速率(da/dN)的影响.结果表明,经730℃回火后2.25Cr1Mo钢的断裂韧度有较大的提高,裂纹扩展速率则无明显变化.     

Influence of aluminium on creep strength of 9–12% Cr steels

The influence of aluminium on creep strength of 9% Cr steels is predicted by a fundamental model for creep. Through thermodynamic modelling the particle structure is determined for a temperature and composition range. This shows how AlN is formed at the expense of MX carbonitrides of VN character when the aluminium content is increased. The remaining MX particles are of NbC type and have approximately one fifth of the original phase fraction. The evolution in microstructure such as particle coarsening is included in the model as well as the recovery. Rupture time is predicted using a modified Norton equation including back-stresses calculated from microstructure. The predictions show correspondence to some of the creep data for the steel P91 over a temperature and stress range. Furthermore, simulation with high Al content verifies the observed early failure of Al rich components. Overall, the simulations show a decrease in rupture time by a factor 6 due to Al additions of up to 0.2%.     

Effects of heat treatment processes on microstructure and creep properties of a high nitrogen 15Cr-15Ni austenitic heat resistant stainless steel

Conventional thermo-mechanical treatment (CTMT) and modified thermo-mechanical treatment (MTMT) process were applied for manufacturing a high nitrogen niobium-stabilized 15Cr-15Ni austenitic alloy. CTMT process consists of 5 h of solution treatment at 1270 °C followed by water quenching and subsequent aging at 820 °C for 50 h. MTMT process differs from CTMT process in hot plastic deformation performed immediately after the solution treatment at 1270 °C and longer aging time. Microstructure and creep properties of the steel obtained by both processing routes were investigated. Creep rupture tests at 750 °C showed double increase in rupture time brought about by MTMT process. Examination of crept microstructure by transmission electron microscopy revealed that the improved creep properties in MTMT process were mainly due to improved distribution uniformity of fine nano-sized carbonitride precipitates in the austenitic matrix and that MTMT process has no effects on the number density and distribution of copper precipitates present in the steel. However, the creep ductility in MTMT process drastically reduced comparing to CTMT process. The higher density of grain boundaries due to finer grain recrystallized microstructures and the formation of higher volume fraction of coarser M₂₃C₆ precipitates at the boundaries are believed to be the main reason for the lower creep ductility in MTMT process.     

Influence of Pd addition on the creep behavior of AZ61 magnesium alloy

The effect of Pd addition (0, 2, and 4 wt%) on the microstructure and creep properties of permanent mold AZ61 (Mg-6Al-1Zn) alloy has been studied. The results indicate that Pd addition introduces a lamella-shaped Al₄Pd phase at the grain boundary, in addition to the Mg₁₇Al₁₂ (β) phase. The addition of Pd also suppresses the precipitation of the Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phase and residual Al at grain boundaries during solidification. These effects lead to an improvement in the creep behavior of AZ61. Moreover, extended steady-state creep and reductions in both the minimum creep rate and total creep strain are also observed in the case of 4 wt% Pd addition.     

热处理工艺对Y1Cr17Mo钢组织和性能的影响

Y1Cr17Mo钢属于铁素体-马氏体钢的范畴,其显微组织随热处理保温时间和温度的不同而发生变化,显然这也将影响到材料的力学性能。主要介绍了热处理工艺对Y1Cr17Mo钢显微组织的影响,摸索淬火温度、保温时间与显微组织、硬度之间的关系,以便为实际生产提供科学指导,从而得到所需的力学性能。