MAGNETIC PROPERTY CHANGE IN AN AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL SUBJECTED TO DAMAGE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE - MICROSTRUCTURE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAGNETIC PROPERTY

It has been found that magnetic property changes in austenitic stainless steel subjected to creep at high temperature. The change of magnetic property is mainly due to decrease the chromium concentration in the vicinity of grain boundary and transform into martensite in the area. However this result is for short-term creep. It is necessary to evaluate the long-term creep in order to develop non-destructive technique for plants. Moreover it is important to evaluate the fatigue. The change of magnetic property for those damages at high temperatures is investigated. The transformation into martensite is observed for both the long-term creep and fatigue. The magnetic regions are observed in sever deformed area and near crack. Then the formation of magnetic phases is related to the damage. The damage at high temperature can be universally evaluated.     

Behaviour of chromium steels in liquid Pb-55.5Bi with changing oxygen content and temperature

The behaviour of protective oxide layers on P122 steel and its welds and of ODS steel in liquid Pb_44.5Bi_55.5 (LBE) is examined under conditions of changing temperatures and oxygen concentrations. P122 (12Cr) and its welded joints are exposed to LBE at 550 °C for 4000 h with oxygen concentrations of 10⁻⁶ and 10⁻⁸ wt% (p(O₂) = 8.1 × 10⁻²³ bar and 5.2 × 10⁻²⁷ bar) which change every 800 h. It is found that like in case of constant oxygen concentration of 10⁻⁶ wt% a protective spinel layer (Fe(Fe_1−xCr_x)₂O₄) was maintained on P122 and also on its welded joint. Two experiments with exposure times of 4800 h are conducted on ODS steel, both with temperatures changing from 550 to 650 °C and back every 800 h, one experiment with 10⁻⁶ the other with 10⁻⁸ wt% oxygen in LBE. Both experiments show strong local dissolution attack after 4800 h which is in agreement with the behaviour of ODS in LBE at a constant temperature of 650 °C. However, dissolution attack is less in LBE with 10⁻⁸ wt% oxygen (p(O₂) = 3.0 × 10⁻²⁵ bar).     

Transient analysis of near field for conductive pillar withthin-type absorber

The electromagnetic field distribution for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) waves obliquely incident on a square pillar without and with absorber coating is simulated in the time domain and the obtained steady-state results are discussed. From the obtained results, the fundamental characteristics and the effectiveness of the present approach to such problems are clarified. The execution time in each case is about 7 s for 400 iterations on the supercomputer HITACHI S-810-10, and the required memory is 6 MB     

An approach for quantum mechanical modeling and simulation for MOS devices, covering the whole operation region

A quantum mechanical (QM) approach for modeling and simulation of MOS devices, covering the whole operation region, was proposed. This formulation is applicable continuously from the subthreshold to the saturation regions, since it exactly treats the QM effects on the in-depth distribution of the gate induced carriers in the channel by solving one dimensional Poisson equation and Schrödinger equation self-consistently and it treats the lateral drift–diffusion transport using quasi-Fermi potential. A QM simulator was implemented using this QM approach. This QM simulator was verified by classical three-dimensional device simulator, CADDETH, in the whole range of operation of bulk MOSFET with low dopant density where QM effect is negligible. The QM simulation elucidated that the threshold voltage shift in thin SOI MOSFETs in saturation region as well as in linear region results from energy shift of the lowest conduction electron level and effective increase of gate oxide thickness.     

Effect of nonproportional loading on creep-fatigue properties of 304 stainless steel at low strain ranges near the elastic region

The effect of nonproportional strain path on fatigue/creep-fatigue properties was investigated with 304 stainless steel at 550°C under strain controlled biaxial conditions. The fatigue/creep-fatigue life reduction due to nonproportional strain path occurred even at the lowest strain range investigated, that is, 0.2% for fatigue loading and 0.3% for creep-fatigue loading. The Mises-type path-dependent equivalent strain range was employed in order to evaluate the fatigue/creep-fatigue strength under nonproportional loading conditions. Stress relaxation behavior under nonproportional loading was examined. It was shown that stress relaxes proportionally toward the origin of stress plane even under nonproportional loading. Fatigue damage and creep damage were calculated based on the linear damage summation rule. Life prediction was shown to be possible within an accuracy of a factor of about 2 for nonproportional loading along with other waveforms including pure axial loading, pure torsional loading and combined proportional loading.     

Novel unidirectional porous hydroxyapatite used as a bone substitute for open wedge high tibial osteotomy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clinically and radiologically evaluate the availability, osteoconductivity, and resorption of a novel unidirectional porous hydroxyapatite (UDPHAp) used as an artificial substitute for open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO). Our hypothesis was that UDPHAp is a safe and useful bone substitute for OWHTO. Materials and methods: Seven patients (2 men and 5 women aged 34-72years) who underwent OWHTO and were followed up for more than 12months were retrospectively studied. After the osteotomy, the gap created was filled with UDPHAp(REGENOS® Kuraray Co.Ltd). Radiography and computed tomography(CT) were performed, and gap healing was assessed postoperatively. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) knee score was determined pre- and post-operatively for clinical evaluation. Results: Neither gross displacement nor collapse of the UDPHAp block graft was observed within 12 months after surgery. Both radiographs and CT showed attenuation of lucency and increasing sclerosis over time. JOA score improved from 71.2 (65?80) to 95.8 (85?100). Conclusions: Short term results for OWHTO using UDPHAp was satisfactory. Clinical improvement of JOA scores were seen, besides osteogenesis was progressing in and around the artificial bone grafts.     

Present status of development of high chromium steel for Japanese FBR components

This paper presents the establishment of the provisional specifications and material strength standard of the high chromium (Cr) steels for fast breeder reactor (FBR) components. For the improvement of toughness and ductility of the steels, a series of mechanical tests and metallurgical examinations are performed for several kinds of high Cr steels with the controlled balance of tungsten (W) and molybdenum (Mo). In addition, the effect of heat treatment condition on material properties is also investigated. Based on these results, it is revealed that W should be diminished to achieve better ductility and toughness and that it is difficult to improve the long-term properties by changing heat treatment condition. Then the provisional specifications of the high Cr steel for FBR components are given and the provisional material strength standard is proposed for the specifications of the steel. The standard obtained in this study is utilized for the FBR plant design.     

Inelastic stress-strain response for notched specimen of Cr-1Mo steel at 600°C

Following a series of cooperative studies A-I and A-II (phase III) concerning the inelastic behaviour of high temperature materials under uniform state of stress, finite element analyses were carried out on circumferential notched cylinders subjected to plasticity-creep interaction conditions. Using an electric capacitance type extensometer “Strain-Pecker”, which is capable of measuring a local strain response with a gauge length of 0.5 mm under high temperature conditions, stress-strain responses for both global and local regions near the notch root were evaluated. Ten kinds of inelastic constitutive model were introduced into a finite element code, and the responses for four kinds of loading pattern were examined for two types of notch shape.