Development of Low-Cost Austenitic Stainless Gas-Turbine and Diesel Engine Components with Enhanced High-Temperature Reliability

In July of 1999, a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) was undertaken between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Solar Turbines, Inc. and Caterpillar, Inc. (Caterpillar Technical Center) to evaluate commercial cast stainless steels for gas turbine engine and diesel engine exhaust component applications relative to the materials currently being used. If appropriate, the goal was to develop cast stainless steels with improved performance and reliability rather than switch to more costly cast Ni-based superalloys for upgraded performance. The gas-turbine components considered for the Mercury-50 engine were the combustor housing and end-cover, and the center-frame hot-plate, both made from commercial CF8C cast austenitic stainless steel (Fe-l9Cr-12Ni-Nb,C), which is generally limited to use at below 650 C. The advanced diesel engine components considered for truck applications (C10, C12, 3300 and 3400) were the exhaust manifold and turbocharger housing made from commercial high SiMo ductile cast iron with uses limited to 700-750 C or below. Shortly after the start of the CRADA, the turbine materials emphasis changed to wrought 347H stainless steel (hot-plate) and after some initial baseline tensile and creep testing, it was confirmed that this material was typical of those comprising the abundant database; and by 2000, the emphasis of the CRADA was primarily on diesel engine materials. For the diesel applications, commercial SiMo cast iron and standard cast CN12 austenitic stainless steel (Fe-25Cr-13Ni-Nb,C,N,S) baseline materials were obtained commercially. Tensile and creep testing from room temperature to 900 C showed the CN12 austenitic stainless steel to have far superior strength compared to SiMo cast iron above 550 C, together with outstanding oxidation resistance. However, aging at 850 C reduced room-temperature ductility of the standard CN12, and creep-rupture resistance at 850 C was less than expected, which triggered a focused laboratory-scale alloy development effort on modified cast austenitic stainless steels at ORNL. Isothermal fatigue testing at 700 C also showed that standard CN12 was far superior to SiMo cast iron, but somewhat less than the desired behavior. During the first year, 3 new modified CF8C heats and 8 new modified CN12 heats were made, based on compositional changes specifically designed to change the nature, dispersion and stability of the as-cast and high-temperature aging-induced microstructures that consisted of carbides and other precipitate phases. Screening of the alloys at room-temperature and at 850 C (tensile and creep-rupture) showed -a ten-fold increase in rupture life of the best modified CN12 relative to the baseline material, better room-temperature ductility after aging, caused by less precipitation in the as-cast material and much less aging-induced precipitation. The best new modified CF8C steel showed strength at tensile and creep-rupture strength comparable to standard CN12 steel at 850 C, due to a unique and very stable microstructure. The CRADA was scheduled to end in July 2001, but was extended twice until July 2002. Based on the very positive results on the newly developed modified CF8C and CN12 cast austenitic stainless steels, a new CRADA with Caterpillar has been set up to commercially scale-up, test and evaluate, and make trial components from the new steels

Void-precipitate association during neutron irradiation of austenitic stainless steel

Microstructural data has recently become available on a single heat of 316 stainless steel irradiated in EBR-II and HFIR, over a wide range of irradiation temperature (55 to 750/sup 0/C), dose (7 to 75 dpa), and helium generation rate (0.5 to 55 at. ppM He/dpa). Extensive information on precipitate compositions and characteristics are included. The data reveal several important relationships between the development of voids and precipitation. Precipitate associated voids dominate the swelling of (DO heat) 316 at 500 to 650 C from 8.4 to 36 dpa in EBR-II. Cold work (CW) or helium preinjection delay void formation in EBR-II. Higher helium generation in HFIR also delays void formation at 500 to 640/sup 0/C in SA 316 and CW DO heat 316. The delay persists in CW 316 at least to 61 dpa in HFIR, but abundant matrix and precipitate-associated voids form in SA after 47 dpa. In another heat of CW 316 (N-lot) irradiated in HFIR matrix and precipitate voids form readily after 22 to 44 dpa at 500 to 600/sup 0/C

The effect of microstructure in the morphology and kinetics of amorphization induced by ion irradiation

NiTi was irradiated with Ni ions to study the rate of amorphization as a function of temperature and to determine the temperature cutoff for the crystalline-to-amorphous transition. A series of irradiations was conducted at different temperatures from ambient to 350{degree}C. Prior to irradiation, the specimens contained martensitic plates and austenitic (B2) regions. However, during irradiation at temperatures of 80{degree}C and higher, all the specimens were entirely austenitic. As expected, amorphization was delayed as the irradiation temperature was increased. The fraction of material that became amorphous after irradiation at 250{degree}C to a dose of 0.7 dpa was estimated to be 5 to 10%. Specimens irradiated at higher temperatures remained crystalline, even after doses as high as 4 dpa. Irrespective of the irradiation temperature, we found a non-uniform distribution of amorphous regions that exhibited a morphology closely resembling the shape of the martensitic plates that existed in the material prior to heating it to the irradiation temperature. These observations are discussed in terms of the influence of structural defects on the kinetics of amorphization. 21 refs., 6 figs

Understanding Damage Mechanisms in Ferritic/Martensitic Steels

Advanced ferritic/martensitic steels are being used extensively in fossil energy applications. New steels such as 2 1/4Cr-W-V (T23, T24), 3Cr-W-V, 9Cr-Mo-V (T91), 7Cr-W-V, 9Cr-W-V (T92 and T911), and 12Cr-W-V (T122, SAVE 12, and NF12) are examples of tubing being used in boilers and heat recovery steam generators (1). Other products for these new steels include piping, plates, and forgings. There is concern about the high-temperature performance of the advanced steels for several reasons. First, they exhibit a higher sensitivity to temperature than the 300 series stainless steels that they often replace. Second, they tend to be metallurgically unstable and undergo significant degradation at service temperatures in the creep range. Third, the experience base is limited in regard to duration. Fourth, they will be used for thick-section, high-pressure components that require high levels of integrity. To better understand the potential limitations of these steels, damage models are being developed that consider metallurgical factors as well as mechanical performance factors. Grade 91 steel was chosen as representative of these steels for evaluation of cumulative damage models since laboratory and service exposures of grade 91 exceed 100,000 hours

Microstructural evolution of martensitic steels during fast neutron iradiation

Irradiation of martensitic/ferritic steels with fast neutrons (E > 0.1 MeV) to displacement damage levels of 30--50 dpa at temperatures of 300--500{degree}C produces significant changes in the as-tempered microstructure. Dislocation loops and networks can be produced, irradiation-induced precipitates can form, the lath/subgrain boundary structure and the thermal precipitates produced during tempering can become unstable, and if helium is present, bubbles and voids can form. These microstructural changes caused by irradiation can have important effects on the properties of this class of steels for both fast breeder reactor (FBR) and magnetic fusion reactor (MFR) applications. The purpose of this paper is to compare reactor-irradiated and long-term thermally aged 9Cr--1MoVNb specimens, in order to distinguish effects due to displacement damage from those caused by elevated-temperature exposure alone. 7 refs., 1 fig

Alloy Design and Development of Cast Cr-W-V Ferritic Steels for Improved High-Temperature Strength for Power Generation Applications

Economic and environmental concerns demand that the power-generation industry seek increased efficiency for gas turbines. Higher efficiency requires higher operating temperatures, with the objective temperature for the hottest sections of new systems {approx} 593 C, and increasing to {approx} 650 C. Because of their good thermal properties, Cr-Mo-V cast ferritic steels are currently used for components such as rotors, casings, pipes, etc., but new steels are required for the new operating conditions. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed new wrought Cr-W-V steels with 3-9% Cr, 2-3% W, 0.25% V (compositions are in wt.%), and minor amounts of additional elements. These steels have the strength and toughness required for turbine applications. Since cast alloys are expected to behave differently from wrought material, work was pursued to develop new cast steels based on the ORNL wrought compositions. Nine casting test blocks with 3, 9, and 11% Cr were obtained. Eight were Cr-W-V-Ta-type steels based on the ORNL wrought steels; the ninth was COST CB2, a 9Cr-Mo-Co-V-Nb cast steel, which was the most promising cast steel developed in a European alloy-development program. The COST CB2 was used as a control to which the new compositions were compared, and this also provided a comparison between Cr-W-V-Ta and Cr-Mo-V-Nb compositions. Heat treatment studies were carried out on the nine castings to determine normalizing-and-tempering treatments. Microstructures were characterized by both optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tensile, impact, and creep tests were conducted. Test results on the first nine cast steel compositions indicated that properties of the 9Cr-Mo-Co-V-Nb composition of COST CB2 were better than those of the 3Cr-, 9Cr-, and 11Cr-W-V-Ta steels. Analysis of the results of this first iteration using computational thermodynamics raised the question of the effectiveness in cast steels of the Cr-W-V-Ta combination versus the Cr-Mo-V-Nb combination in COST CB2. To explore this question, nine more casting test blocks, four 3Cr steels and five 11Cr steels were purchased, and microstructure and mechanical properties studies similar to those described above for the first iteration of test blocks were conducted. Experimental results from the second iteration indicated that 11 Cr steels with excellent properties are possible. The 11Cr-1.5Mo-V-Nb steels were superior to 11Cr-2W-V-Ta steels, and it appears the former class of steels can be developed to have tensile and creep properties exceeding those of COST CB2. The W-Nb combination in an 11Cr-2W-V-Nb steel had tensile and short-time creep properties at 650 C better than the 11Cr-1.5Mo-V-Nb steels, although long-time low-stress properties may not be as good because of Laves phase formation. Based on the results, the next step in the development of improved casting steels involves acquisition of 11Cr-1.5Mo-V-Nb-N-B-C and 11Cr-2W-V-Nb-N-B-C steels on which long-term creep-rupture tests (>10,000 h) be conducted. For better oxidation and corrosion resistance, development of 11Cr steels, as opposed to a 9Cr steels, such as COST CB2, are important for future turbine designs that envision operating temperatures of 650 C