The influence of isothermal ageing and subsequent hydrogen charging at room temperature on local mechanical properties and fracture characteristics of martensitic-bainitic weldments for power engineering

The present study deals with the effects of high temperature expositions and subsequent cathodic hydrogen charging of dissimilar martensitic/bainitic weldment on its local mechanical properties and fracture behaviour at room temperature. Circumferential welded joint under investigation was produced by tungsten inert gas welding of X10CrWMoVNb9-2 martensitic and 7CrMoVTiB10-10 bainitic steels tubes with Ni-based filler metal and the application of subcritical postweld heat treatment. Hardness profile measurements revealed pronounced hardness peaks in over-heated regions of the individual steels heat-affected zones which remained preserved also during subsequent expositions at 600°C for up to 5000 hours. Gradual microstructural degradation of these regions included precipitate coarsening and the formation of new secondary phases during thermal exposure. The combined effects of thermal and hydrogen embrittlement of the studied weldment resulted in deleterious effects on its tensile and fracture behaviour

Influence of the PM-Processing Route and Nitrogen Content on the Properties of Ni-Free Austenitic Stainless Steel

Ni-free austenitic steels alloyed with Cr and Mn are an alternative to conventional Ni-containing steels. Nitrogen alloying of these steel grades is beneficial for several reasons such as increased strength and corrosion resistance. Low solubility in liquid and δ-ferrite restricts the maximal N-content that can be achieved via conventional metallurgy. Higher contents can be alloyed by powder-metallurgical (PM) production via gas–solid interaction. The performance of sintered parts is determined by appropriate sintering parameters. Three major PM-processing routes, hot isostatic pressing, supersolidus liquid phase sintering (SLPS), and solid-state sintering, were performed to study the influence of PM-processing route and N-content on densification, fracture, and mechanical properties. Sintering routes are designed with the assistance of thermodynamic calculations, differential thermal analysis, and residual gas analysis. Fracture surfaces were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Tensile tests and X-ray diffraction were performed to study mechanical properties and austenite stability. This study demonstrates that SLPS process reaches high densification of the high-Mn-containing powder material while the desired N-contents were successfully alloyed via gas–solid interaction. Produced specimens show tensile strengths >1000\ua0MPa combined with strain to fracture of 60\ua0pct and thus overcome the other tested production routes as well as conventional stainless austenitic or martensitic grades