Cross-Roll Flow Forming of ODS Alloy Heat Exchanger Tubes for Hoop Creep Enhancement

Technical Report · Mon Apr 10 04:00:00 EDT 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/881909· OSTI ID:881909

Kad, Bimal K ^[1]

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1. University of California

Mechanically alloyed oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe-Cr-Al alloy thin walled tubes and sheets, produced via powder processing and consolidation methodologies, are promising materials for eventual use at temperatures up to 1200 C in the power generation industry, far above the temperature capabilities of conventional alloys. Target end-uses range from gas turbine combustor liners to high aspect ratio (L/D) heat exchanger tubes. Grain boundary creep processes at service temperatures, particularly those acting in the hoop direction, are the dominant failure mechanisms for such components. The processed microstructure of ODS alloys consists of high aspect ratio grains aligned parallel to the tube axis, a result of dominant axial metal flow which aligns the dispersoid particles and other impurities in the longitudinal direction. The dispersion distribution is unaltered on a micro scale by recrystallization thermal treatments, but the high aspect ratio grain shape typically obtained limits transverse grain spacing and consequently the hoop creep response. Improving hoop creep in ODS-alloy components will require understanding and manipulating the factors that control the recrystallization behavior, and represents a critical materials design and development challenge that must be overcome in order to fully exploit the potential of ODS alloys. The objectives of this program are to (1) increase creep-strength at temperature in ODS-alloy tube and liner components by 100% via, (2) preferential cross-roll flow forming and grain/particle fibering in the critical hoop direction. The research program outlined here is iterative in nature and is intended to systematically (1) examine and identify post-extrusion forming methodologies to create hoop strengthened tubes, which will be (2) evaluated at ''in-service'' loads at service temperatures and environments. This research program is being conducted in collaboration with the DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the vested industrial partner Special Metals Corporation. In this ninth quarter of performance, program activities are continued for Tasks 2, 3 and 4 and are reported herein. Two sets of MA956 tube material samples rotary crossrolled at rolling angles of {beta} = 2{sup o} and 8{sup o} are processed in Task 3 and available for mechanical property testing in the remainder of this project. These samples are at various stages of creep testing and evaluation in Task 4. The creep rigs are being upgraded to handle long term testing at 1000 C and above. Reduced test times at accelerated temperatures will allow for additional testes to be conducted resulting in overall robust creep data statistics. The creep performance enhancement in cross-rolled MA956 material samples versus the base creep property is elucidated. Additional creep enhancements are derived when flow formed tubes are flattened at 900 C and recrystallized. The Larsen-Miller parameter for the improvised thermo-mechanical processing now approaches 52. At least 2-3 orders of magnitude of improvement in creep rates/day are demonstrated for the cross-rolled samples versus the base reference tests.

• Research Organization: University of California
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC26-03NT41985
• OSTI ID: 881909
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CREEP
HEAT EXCHANGERS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS TESTING
MICROSTRUCTURE
STAINLESS STEELS
TUBES