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Influence of post-anneal cooling treatments on suppression of cryogenic intergranular fracture in experimental Ni-free high-Mn austenitic steels

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5802576

The influence of thermal history on the grain boundary chemistries and cryogenic mechanical properties of two high-Mn austenitic steels are examined. While high-Mn alloys with excellent toughness at 4K have been developed, the Ni-free high-Mn alloys are susceptible to cryogenic intergranular embrittlement. Both the source of this embrittlement and the conditions necessary for its control have remained poorly understood. In quaternary Fe-30Mn-5Cr-0.16N and Fe-30Mn-5Cr-0.22N alloys the cryogenic toughness is strongly dependent on cooling rate. The 77K Charpy impact toughness of Fe-30Mn-5Cr-0.16N increases with decreasing cooling rate from 41 J after a brine-quench to 183 J after air-cooling. The influence of post-quench isothermal tempering treatments between 723 and 1023K on the impact toughness is also measured. The grain boundary chemistries of brine-quenched and air-cooled samples were examined by Auger electron spectroscopy. No grain boundary segregation of Mn is observed but both N and slight Cr enrichments are present. While no segregation of common embrittling species occurs, boron segregates to the grain boundaries during slow-cooling. 13 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
5802576
Report Number(s):
LBL-23853; CONF-8706125-21; ON: DE88002766
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English