Weldability Evaluation of a Cu-Bearing High-Strength Blast-Resistant Steel

BlastAlloy160 (BA-160) steel, with a nominal composition of Fe-0.05C-3.65Cu-6.5Ni-1.84Cr-0.6Mo-0.1V (wt pct), is strengthened by Cu-rich precipitates and M₂C carbides. This alloy was subjected to several weldability tests to assess its susceptibility to certain weld cracking mechanisms. Hot ductility testing revealed a liquation cracking temperature range (LCTR) of 148 K (–125 °C), which suggested moderate susceptibility to heat-affected zone (HAZ) liquation cracking. The enrichment of Ni and Cu was measured along the prior austenite grain boundaries in the simulated partially melted zone (PMZ) and was consistent with similar enrichment at interdendritic boundaries of the simulated fusion zone (FZ). Good wetting and penetration of liquid films along the austenite grain boundaries of the PMZ was also observed. Associated with that finding were thermodynamic calculations indicating a completely austenitic (face-centered cubic) microstructure at elevated temperatures. In testing to determine reheat cracking susceptibility, ductility values of 41 to 78 pct RA were established for the 723 K to 973 K (450 °C to 700 °C) temperature range. The good ductility values precluded susceptibility to reheat cracking according to the test criterion. Dilatometric measurements and thermodynamic calculations revealed the formation of austenite in the reheat cracking temperature range, which was attributed to the high Ni content of the BA-160 alloy.     

Effect of boron segregation at grain boundaries on heat-affected zone cracking in wrought INCONEL 718

Susceptibility to heat-affected zone (HAZ) cracking during electron-beam welding was studied in two INCONEL 718-based alloys doped with different levels of boron. By lowering the carbon, sulfur, and phosphorous concentrations to be “as low as possible,” the occurrence of HAZ cracking was related directly to the level of segregation of boron at grain boundaries, which occurred by nonequilibrium segregation during a preweld heat treatment. The study has demonstrated a direct correlation between the amount of boron segregated at grain boundaries and their susceptibility to HAZ cracking, in terms of the total crack length and number of cracks observed in the HAZ. The analysis of results suggests that both the melting and resolidification temperatures of the boron-segregated grain boundaries can be about 100 °C to 200 °C lower than those of the grain boundaries that were susceptible to constitutional liquation of Nb carbides on them, making boron more deleterious in causing HAZ cracking.     

Effects of Residual Elements Arsenic,Antimony, and Tin on Surface Hot Shortness

Scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking is limited by a surface cracking problem in the recycled steel products, which is known as surface hot shortness. This problem originates from the excessive amount of copper (Cu) in the steel scrap, which enriches during the oxidation of iron (Fe) and consequently melts and penetrates into the austenite grain boundaries. In this article, the effects of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and tin (Sn) on surface hot shortness were investigated. A series of Fe-0.3 wt pct Cu-x wt pct (As, Sb, or Sn) alloys with x content ranging from 0.06 to 0.10 wt pct was oxidized in air at 1423 K (1150 °C) for 60, 300, and 600 seconds inside the chamber of a thermogravimety analyzer (TGA) where heat is supplied through infrared radiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations show that (1) the presence of Sb and Sn results in severe grain boundary cracking, whereas the presence of As does not, (2) open cracks with Fe oxides were found beneath the oxide/metal interface in the Sb and Sn alloys, and (3) the oxide/metal interfaces for all As, Sb, and Sn alloys are planar. Penetration experiments of pure Cu and Cu-30 wt pct Sn liquid were also conducted in the chamber of a hot-stage confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) in nonoxidizing atmosphere: (1) on the Fe-35 wt pct manganese (Mn) alloys to study the correlation between cracking and grain boundary characters, and (2) on the pure Fe substrates to exclude the bulk segregation effects of Sn on grain boundary cracking. It was found that grain boundary cracking rarely took place on low-energy grain boundaries. The results also suggest that the bulk segregation of Sn in the substrate is not necessary to promote significant grain boundary cracking, and as long as the liquid phase contains Sn, it will be highly embrittling.     

Effect of boron on the grain boundary segregation of phosphorus and intergranular fracture in high-purity Fe-0.2 Pct P-B alloys

The effect of boron on the grain boundary segregation of phosphorus in a high-purity Fe-0.2 pct P alloy has been investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The segregation of phosphorus decreases markedly with the segregation of boron; phosphorus atoms are replaced by boron atoms at grain boundaries. The free energy of segregation of boron at 1073 K is determined to be 100 kJ/mol. The effect of boron on the phosphorus-induced intergranular fracture (IGF) has been examined with impact testing, and the fractography has been studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Addition of 12.5 wt · ppm boron completely prevents the IGF induced by the segregation of phosphorus and decreases the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) by about 170 K when quenched from 1073 K. The suppression of the IGF due to the addition of boron is caused by two mechanisms. One is the increased grain boundary cohesion of iron caused by the segregated boron as its inherent effect. The other is the decrease in the segregation of phosphorus caused by the segregation of boron. The former has been shown to be more effective than the latter in suppressing the IGF. Formerly Graduate Student, Postdoctoral Fellow Formerly Research Student, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University Formerly with the Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University     

Improved Resistance to Laser Weld Heat-Affected Zone Microfissuring in a Newly Developed Superalloy HAYNES 282

Gleeble thermomechanical simulation and microstrucutural analyses of laser beam weldability of a newly developed precipitation-hardened nickel-base HAYNES alloy 282 were performed to better understand the fundamental cause of heat-affected zone (HAZ) cracking and how to prevent the cracking problem in the material. Submicron size intergranular M₅B₃ particles are identified for the first time in the present work by transmission electron microscopy, and were found to be the primary cause of HAZ grain boundary liquation cracking in the alloy. Complete dissolution of the liquating M₅B₃ particles by preweld heat treatment exacerbated rather than reduced susceptibility to cracking, which could be attributed to nonequilibrium intergranular segregation of boron atoms, liberated by the complete dissolution of the boride particles, during cooling from heat treatment temperature. Consequently, to reduce the HAZ cracking, a preweld heat treatment that reduces the volume fraction of the M₅B₃ particles while minimizing nonequilibrium grain boundary boron segregation is necessary, and this is possible by heat treating the alloy at 1353?K to 1373 K (1080?°C to 1100 °C). Further improvement in cracking resistance to produce crack-free welds is achieved by subjecting the alloy to thermomechanically induced grain refinement coupled with the preweld heat treatment at 1353 K (1080 °C). A Gleeble hot ductility test showed that formation of the crack-free welds is unexplainable by mere reduction in grain size without considering the effect of grain refinement on intergranular liquid produced by subsolidus liquation of the M₅B₃ borides.     

Serrated grain boundary formation potential of Ni-based superalloys and its implications

The serrated grain boundary formation potential of a large number of conventionally forged, powder processed, and investment cast Ni-based superalloys is reviewed. A mechanism of serrated grain boundary formation by which grain boundaryγ′ particles move and displace the local grain boundary segment is discussed and the prerequisite conditions for its occurrence are highlighted. The practical implications of the serrated grain boundary formation are also discussed. It is suggested that modifying the existing heat-treatment cycles in some investment cast and powder processed Ni-based superalloys would improve their properties. The possibility of minimizing weld cracking in superalloys by creating serrated grain boundaries in the base metal and the heat affected zone is also discussed.     

The relationship between carbon content,microstructure, and intergranular liquation cracking in cast nickel alloy 718

The ability of NbC and Laves phases to promote intergranular liquation cracking in the weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) of cast alloy 718 is examined in this paper. The term liquation cracking as used in this paper is synonymous with the terms microfissuring and hot cracking as used by the authors in previous papers. Many alloys are susceptible to intergranular liquation cracking due to the formation of incipient intergranular liquid films which can open into intergranular cracks. Previous studies on alloy 718 showed that both NbC and Laves phases produce intergranular liquid films when subjected to the rapid thermal cycles of the HAZ. When seeking a correlation between microstructure and liquation cracking, it is thus necessary to account for changes in the volume fractions and distributions of both NbC and Laves phases. The volume fractions and distributions of NbC and Laves phases were varied by heat treatment and also by using two bulk carbon concentrations. Increasing the bulk carbon from 0.02 to 0.06 wt pct caused a 70 pct increase in the volume fraction of NbC but no significant change in the amount of Laves phase. This increase in NbC was accompanied by an 18 pct increase in liquation cracking in the as-cast metal as measured using the spot varestraint test. When the volume fraction of NbC and Laves phases were varied using heat treatment, a very different behavior was observed. One hour heat treatments at 1200°F (649°C) and 1700°F (927 °C) reduced the amount of NbC by 40 pct, and the 1200°F (649°C) treatment also reduced the volume of Laves phase. Surprisingly, although the 1200°F (649°C) treatment reduced the amounts of both Laves phase and NbC, it produced a 23 pct increase in liquation cracking, while the 1700°F (927°C) treatment produced an opposite 22 pct decrease in liquation cracking. The effect of carbon content on the as-cast liquation cracking susceptibility is discussed in terms of its effect on the volume fraction of liquid produced during the welding thermal cycle and the subsequent resolidification kinetics of the liquid during cooling. The effects of different heat treatments are discussed in terms of their ability to redistribute solute, impurities, and precipitates within the matrix and to grain boundaries in deleterious or beneficial ways. Formerly Graduate Student, University of Alabama     

铁/镍基奥氏体多晶合金晶界弯曲研究进展

对于在高温环境服役的金属材料,晶界作为组织结构上的薄弱环节常常引发晶界裂纹而造成合金失效,严重影响了材料的高温力学性能表现。因而,如何改善晶界状态、提高晶界强度,是提高合金高温性能的关键。在铁/镍基奥氏体多晶合金中,采用晶界弯曲的方法强化晶界、改善合金性能一直受到国内外研究人员的广泛关注。从弯曲晶界的获得方法、形成机制及其对材料性能的影响3个方面概述了目前国内外的研究现状。较为全面地总结了特殊热处理与材料合金化等获得弯曲晶界的方法;讨论了不同合金中晶界第二相诱发晶界弯曲的驱动力和内在机理;介绍了弯曲晶界对材料力学性能、耐蚀性能及焊接性能的影响。最后,结合当前的研究现状,围绕弯曲晶界的形成条件和机制,以及弯曲晶界对性能的影响,提出了弯曲晶界未来的研究发展方向。      

The Role of grain boundary misorientation in intergranular cracking of Ni-16Cr-9Fe in 360 °C argon and high-Purity water

The effect of grain boundary misorientation on the intergranular cracking behavior of pure Ni-16Cr-9Fe was assessed by determining if low-angle boundaries (LABs) or coincident site lattice boundaries (CSLBs) are more crack resistant than general high-angle boundaries (GHABs) in argon and high-purity water. Cracking susceptibility of boundary types was determined using constant extension rate tensile tests (CERTs) in 360 °C argon and in deaerated, high-purity water. Annealed samples contained 12 to 20 pct CSLBs, while CSLB-enhanced samples contained 27 to 44 pct CSLBs; GHAB proportions varied accordingly. Cracked boundary fractions for CSLB-enhanced samples tested in either environment ranged from 0.01 to 0.08, while those for annealed samples ranged from 0.07 to 0.10, indicating that samples with increased proportions of CSLBs are more crack resistant. No LABs cracked in either environment. In annealed samples, the proportion of CSLBs that cracked in water was 6.7 pct compared to 1.5 pct in argon; the proportion of GHABs that cracked in water was 9.3 pct compared to 6.6 pct for argon. Thus, CSLBs are more crack resistant than GHABs in either environment, and both are more crack resistant in argon than in water. The higher amounts of cracking and the higher CSLB cracking susceptibility in high-purity water indicate the presence of an environmental effect on cracking behavior. The beneficial effect of LABs and CSLBs is likely due to the ability of these boundaries to induce slip in neighboring grains by either transmitting or absorbing and re-emitting lattice dislocations, thereby reducing grain boundary stresses and the propensity for crack initiation. The results indicate that control of grain boundary proportions can improve the intergranular stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of pure Ni-16Cr-9Fe. Formerly Graduate Research Assistant, The University of Michigan.     

Grain boundary segregation and grain growth inhibition in silicon iron: The effect of boron and nitrogen

The degree of grain growth inhibition in iron-3.1 pct silicon alloys with small additions of boron, nitrogen and sulfur has been observed to correlate strongly with the degree of nitrogen segregation to the grain boundaries. Grain growth was seen to increase monotonically with decreasing nitrogen segregation at 950°C, the temperature at which significant grain growth was first observed to occur. Boron affected the retention of nitrogen in the material at high temperatures and in this way had an indirect effect on grain growth inhibition. Sulfur acted to enhance the effectiveness of nitrogen as a grain growth inhibitor. It is suggested that nitrogen, even at very low grain boundary concentrations affects grain boundary migration by poisoning sites at the grain boundaries which are particularly efficient in attaching atoms to the growing grain surface. This paper is based on a presentation made at a symposium on “Recovery, Recrystallization and Grain Growth in Materials” held at the Chicago meeting of The Metallurgical Society of AIME, October 1977, under the sponsorship of the Physical Metallurgy Committee.     

Improvement in Laser Weldability of INCONEL 738 Superalloy through Microstructural Modification

Microstructural study of laser-beam-welded IN 738 superalloy was carefully performed to better understand the causes of heat-affected zone (HAZ) cracking and to determine an improved approach of alleviating the weldability problem. The HAZ cracks in the alloy were intergranular liquation cracks that resulted from the liquation reaction of both secondary solidification products (MC carbides and γ-γ′ eutectic) and solid-state reaction products (γ′ particles) present in the preweld material. In contrast to the expectation based on Chadwick’s equation, a reduction of grain boundary liquid film thickness did not produce a decrease in HAZ cracking owing to increased base alloy hardness that accompanied a preweld heat treatment designed to reduce the intergranular liquation. Moreover, a major factor limiting the effectiveness of an existing preweld heat treatment with low base alloy hardness in reducing HAZ cracking was found to be the formation of intergranular M₅B₃ boride particles during the heat treatment. These borides can widen the HAZ brittle temperature range (BTR) during weld cooling and increase the propensity for cracking. Based on the results, a new preweld heat treatment that induces a moderate hardness and precludes grain boundary boride formation was found and was shown to produce a significant reduction in HAZ cracking in the welded alloy compared to the most effective pre-existing preweld heat treatment.     

Lüders bands formation in a rapidly solidified Ni3al alloy ribbon

The phenomenology of Lüders bands formation in a rapidly solidified Ni-20Al-12Cr-1.8Mo intermetallic alloy ribbon in the temperature range of 300-770 K is discussed. It was observed that strength and Lüders bands aspect on the specimen were irrespective of temperature. The flow characteristics in the Lüders region of the load-elongation curve were, however, very temperature sensitive. At low temperatures (<470 K), a flat plastic region with few instabilities was seen; but at higher temperatures (>470 K), a clear serrated behavior was manifested and the amplitude of serration increased with temperature. It is suggested that yielding occurs by dislocation generation at grain boundaries and that the stress required for dislocation generation (σ_eff) is athermal. A temperature dependent stress originated by the dynamic pile-up of dislocations at grain boundaries (dynamic stress) is, however, introduced as rate controlling for Lüders front motion and responsible for serration appearance.     

Grain Boundary Segregation Behavior of Boron in Low-Alloy Steel

The boron concentration profiles around prior austenite grain boundaries in Fe-0.05C-0.5Mo-0.001B (mass pct) are examined using aberration-corrected STEM-EELS. In order to obtain the precise distribution of boron around the boundaries, tilt series measurements with thin specimens (<30 nm) are performed and the EEL spectra are analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate curve resolution (MCR). The boron concentration profile changes with the cooling rate from the solid solution temperature. The concentration at grain boundaries is maximized at a medium rate (30 °C/s), where the concentration reaches 8 at. pct, and it decreases at a larger (250 °C/s) or smaller (5 °C/s) rate. On the other hand, the boron distribution becomes wider as the cooling rate becomes smaller. The current results suggest that the boron segregation in the alloy is formed by the “non-equilibrium segregation mechanism.”     

Microstructure and Ductility-Dip Cracking Susceptibility of Circumferential Multipass Dissimilar Weld Between 20MND5 and Z2CND18-12NS with Ni-Base Filler Metal 52

The large circumferential multipass dissimilar weld between 20MND5 steel and Z2CND18-12NS stainless steel welded with FM52 filler material was investigated in terms of the diluted composition, the grain boundary precipitation, and the ductility-dip cracking (DDC) susceptibility of the weld. The diluted composition of the weld is composed of 37 to 47 pct Ni, 21 to 24 pct Cr, and 28 to 40 pct Fe, which are inhomogeneous along the depth and over the width of the deep weld. The carbon content has a distribution in the region of the surface weld from a high level (~0.20 pct) in the zone near 20MND5 steel to a normal level (~0.03 pct) in the zone near Z2CND18-12NS stainless steel. The carbon distribution is corresponding to the grain boundary carbides. The minimum threshold strains for DDC occur in the temperature range of 1223 K to 1323 K (950 °C to 1050 °C), which are 0.5, 0.35, and 0.4 pct for the root weld, middle region, and the surface weld, respectively. The dissimilar weld has the largest susceptibility to the DDC compared to the filler metal 52 and the Inconel 690.     

Hydrogen Embrittlement of a 1500-MPa Tensile Strength Level Steel with an Ultrafine Elongated Grain Structure

A deformation of a tempered martensitic structure (i.e., tempforming) at 773 K (500 °C) was applied to a 0.6 pct C-2 pct Si-1 pct Cr steel. The hydrogen embrittlement (HE) property of the tempformed (TF) steel was investigated by a slow strain rate test (SSRT) and an accelerated atmospheric corrosion test (AACT). Hydrogen content within the samples after SSRT and AACT was measured by thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS). The tempforming at 773 K (500 °C) using multipass caliber rolling with an accumulative are reduction of 76 pct resulted in the evolution of an ultrafine elongated grain (UFEG) structure with a strong 〈110〉//rolling direction (RD) fiber deformation texture and a dispersion of spheroidized cementite particles. The SSRT of the pre-hydrogen-charged notched specimens and the AACT demonstrated that the TF sample had superior potential for HE resistance to the conventional quenched and tempered (QT) sample at a tensile strength of 1500 MPa. The TDS analysis also indicated that the hydrogen might be mainly trapped by reversible trapping sites such as grain boundaries and dislocations in the TF sample, and the hydrogen trapping states of the TF sample were similar to those of the QT sample. The QT sample exhibited hydrogen-induced intergranular fracture along the boundaries of coarse prior-austenite grains. In contrast, the hydrogen-induced cracking occurred in association with the UFEG structure in the TF sample, leading to the higher HE resistance of the TF sample.     

Copper,Boron, and Cerium Additions in Type 347 Austenitic Steel to Improve Creep Rupture Strength

Type 347 austenitic stainless steel (18Cr-12Ni-Nb) was alloyed with copper (3 wt pct), boron (0.01 to 0.06 wt pct), and cerium (0.01 wt pct) with an aim to increase the creep rupture strength of the steel through the improved deformation and cavitation resistance. Short-term creep rupture strength was found to increase with the addition of copper in the 347 steel, but the long-term strength was inferior. Extensive creep cavitation deprived the steel of the beneficial effect of creep deformation resistance induced by nano-size copper particles. Boron and cerium additions in the copper-containing steel increased its creep rupture strength and ductility, which were more for higher boron content. Creep deformation, grain boundary sliding, and creep cavity nucleation and growth in the steel were found to be suppressed by microalloying the copper-containing steel with boron and cerium, and the suppression was more for higher boron content. An auger electron spectroscopic study revealed the segregation of boron instead of sulfur on the cavity surface of the boron- and cerium-microalloyed steel. Cerium acted as a scavenger for soluble sulfur in the steels through the precipitation of cerium sulfide (CeS). This inhibited the segregation of sulfur and facilitated the segregation of boron on cavity surface. Boron segregation on the nucleated cavity surface reduced its growth rate. Microalloying the copper-containing 347 steel with boron and cerium thus enabled to use the full extent of creep deformation resistance rendered by copper nano-size particle by increase in creep rupture strength and ductility.     

Strain-Rate Sensitivity and Failure Peculiarities in Compression of the Nanocrystalline Ni-20 Pct Fe Alloy at Low Temperatures

The strain-rate sensitivity of the applied stress was measured, and the values of the activation volume of the process of the plastic deformation V along the deformation curve in compression of the nanocrystalline (NC) Ni-20 pct Fe alloy (with average grain size ~22 nm) in the temperature range of 300 to 77 K (27 to −196 °C) were calculated. It was found that the decrease of the temperature from 300 to 77 K leads to a decrease of the value of V from 20 to 8 b ³, and values of V do not depend on the strain. Fractographic features of the failure surfaces were studied in the temperature range 300 to 4.2 K (27 to −269 °C). Observed traces of melting on these surfaces at temperatures below 300 K indicate the intense heating in the catastrophic shear band of the alloy in the moment of failure. Causes of low-temperature decohesion along grain boundaries are discussed in terms of the sulfur segregation influence.     

The effect of weld Heat-Affected zone (HAZ) liquation kinetics on the hot cracking susceptibility of alloy 718

A delay in grain boundary liquation was observed in the subsolidus portion of the weld heat affected zone (HAZ) of alloy 718 for the solution-treated material. However, for the homogenized or the homogenized and aged alloy, an instantaneous liquation of the grain boundaries occurred in the subsolidus HAZ. The above difference in the grain boundary liquation kinetics may account for the greater hot-cracking susceptibility of the homogenized or the homogenized and aged alloy compared to that of the solution-treated alloy. Existing models of grain boundary liquation are used to explain the observed kinetic effects associated with liquation in the subsolidus HAZ of alloy 718.