skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Thermal Aging Phenomena in Cast Duplex Stainless Steels

Journal Article · · JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [2]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

We used cast stainless steels (CASSs)for the large components of light water reactor (LWR) power plants such as primary coolant piping and pump casing. The thermal embrittlement of CASS components is one of the most serious concerns related to the extended-term operation of nuclear power plants. Many past researches have concluded that the formation of Cr-rich alpha-phase by Spinodal decomposition of delta-ferrite phase is the primary mechanism for the thermal embrittlement. Cracking mechanism in the thermally-embrittled duplex stainless steels consists of the formation of cleavage at ferrite and its propagation via separation of ferrite-austenite interphase. This article intends to provide an introductory overview on the thermal aging phenomena in LWR-relevant conditions. Firstly, the thermal aging effect on toughness is discussed in terms of the cause of embrittlement and influential parameters. Moreover, an approximate analysis of thermal reaction using Arrhenius equation was carried out to scope the aging temperatures for the accelerated aging experiments to simulate the 60 and 80 years of services. Further, an equilibrium precipitation calculation was performed for model CASS alloys using the CALPHAD program, and the results are used to describe the precipitation behaviors in duplex stainless steels. Our results are also to be used to guide an on-going research aiming to provide knowledge-based conclusive prediction for the integrity of the CASS components of LWR power plants during the service life extended up to and beyond 60 years.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1261499
Journal Information:
JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Vol. 68, Issue 2; ISSN 1047-4838
Publisher:
SpringerCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 37 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (33)

Embrittlement of laboratory and reactor aged CF3,CF8, and CF8M duplex stainless steels journal March 1990
Fatigue crack propagation in cast duplex stainless steels: thermal ageing and microstructural effects journal January 2004
Low temperature embrittlement of duplex stainless steel: Correlation between mechanical and electrochemical behavior journal June 2010
Evaluation of thermal aging embrittlement in CF8 duplex stainless steel by small punch test journal February 2000
Effect of external stress on the Fe–Cr phase separation in 15-5 PH and Fe–15Cr–5Ni alloys journal September 2013
Effects of thermal aging on the low cycle fatigue behavior of austenitic–ferritic duplex cast stainless steel journal May 2001
Effects of prior solution treatment on thermal aging behavior of duplex stainless steels journal October 2013
Effects of ferrite content on the mechanical properties of thermal aged duplex stainless steels journal February 2015
Microstructure evolution and impact fracture behaviors of Z3CN20-09M stainless steels after long-term thermal aging journal February 2013
Effect of thermal aging conditions on the corrosion properties and hardness of a duplex stainless steel journal December 2010
Microstructural evolution in a 17-4 PH stainless steel after aging at 400 °C journal February 1999
Thermal aging effect on Z3CN20.09M Cast Duplex Stainless Steel journal November 2009
Mechanical property and microstructural change by thermal aging of SCS14A cast duplex stainless steel journal March 2006
Effect of long-term thermal aging on the mechanical properties of casting duplex stainless steels journal August 2012
Effect of thermal aging on the leak-before-break analysis of nuclear primary pipes journal December 2014
Stress and strain partition in elastic and plastic deformation of two phase alloys journal July 1991
Tensile properties and inhomogeneous deformation of ferrite-martensite dual-phase steels journal January 1993
Precipitation in creep resistant austenitic stainless steels journal January 2001
Thermal ageing effects in AISI type 316 stainless steel journal April 1981
Phase instabilities during high temperature exposure of 316 austenitic stainless steel journal April 1972
Recent developments in stainless steels journal May 2009
A phase-field and electron microscopy study of phase separation in Fe–Cr alloys journal February 2012
Study of phase transformation and mechanical properties evolution of duplex stainless steels after long term thermal ageing (>20years) journal April 2011
Crack Growth Rate and Fracture Toughness Tests on Irradiated Cast Stainless Steels report June 2013
Crack growth rates and fracture toughness of irradiated austenitic stainless steels in BWR environments report January 2008
A review of irradiation effects on LWR core internal materials – Neutron embrittlement journal May 2011
Diffusion of chromium in nanocrystalline iron produced by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment journal August 2003
Diffusion of Cr in Nanostructured Fe and Low Carbon Steel Produced by Means of Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment journal January 2006
Coupled pair potential, thermochemical and phase diagram data for transition metal binary systems-VII journal January 1984
Thermodynamic modeling and kinetics simulation of precipitate phases in AISI 316 stainless steels journal May 2014
PANDAT software with PanEngine, PanOptimizer and PanPrecipitation for multi-component phase diagram calculation and materials property simulation journal June 2009
Mechanism of σ-phase precipitation in Cr–Ni austenitic steels journal January 1988
G-phase precipitation in austenitic stainless steel deformed by high pressure torsion journal August 2012

Cited By (3)


Similar Records

Thermal Aging Phenomena in Cast Duplex Stainless Steels
Journal Article · Sun Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2016 · JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society · OSTI ID:1261499

Thermal Aging Degradation of Cast Stainless Steels in LWR Systems
Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society · OSTI ID:1261499

Irradiation Response of the Ferrite Phase in CF3 Cast Stainless Steel
Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society · OSTI ID:1261499