Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “STEELS, STAINLESS - WELDING”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6

Investigation of annealing temperature on microstructure and texture of Fe-19Cr-2Mo-Nb-Ti ferritic stainless steel

Highlights: • Fe-19Cr-2Mo-Nb-Ti ferritic stainless steel was investigated. • Shear bands provided recrystallization nucleation sites. • Annealing temperature can affect microstructure and texture. • r-bar increased to a maximum value (1.69) and then decreased to 1.42. - Abstract: The evolution of microstructure and texture of Fe-19Cr-2Mo-Nb-Ti ferritic stainless steel annealed at different temperatures was investigated using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). EBSD investigations confirm that the in-grain shear bands provide more recrystallization nucleation sites to γ-fiber recrystallization grains with high Taylor factor orientations during cold rolling requiring further annealing for a more homogenous equiaxied grain structure. As the annealing temperatures increase, the grains in center layer are oriented towards {110}∥ND, and the recrystallization grains at 1050 °C are dominated by the uniform and equiaxial γ-fiber grains favourable for the improvement of r-values, while the occurrence of {100} <011> texture detrimental to r-values indicates that an exorbitant annealing temperature can reduce the intensity of γ-fiber textures affecting the formability, accordingly, the average plastic strain ratio of ferritic stainless steel increases sharply up to a maximum value (1.69) and then decreases to a certain value (1.42).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Degradation of impact toughness in cast stainless steels during long-term thermal aging

Cast austenitic stainless steels (CASSs) have been extensively used for the large components of nuclear reactor primary coolant systems. Since the cast steels inevitably contain degradable metastable phases and replacement of the large coolant system components is impractical, the thermal embrittlement of CASS components has been a serious concern in the extended-term operation of nuclear power plants. This study aimed to systematically measure and analyze the effect of long-term thermal aging on the Charpy impact toughness to provide a comprehensive understanding of thermal degradation behavior and a practical aging model to predict the degree of thermal degradation in the cast stainless steels. Additionally, the materials tested in the research include eight CASS alloys (two CF3s, one CF3M, three CF8s, and two CF8Ms) and two reference wrought materials (304L and 316L), in which the nominal δ-ferrite content ranges from ~2% to 33%. These stainless steels have been thermally aged at two light water reactor (LWR) temperatures (290 and 330 °C) and at two accelerated-aging temperatures (360 and 400 °C) for up to 30,000 h; these include both under-aged and over-aged conditions relative to the extended service lifetime (80 years). Charpy impact testing was performed for aged and non-aged specimens, and the impact (absorbed) energy parameters were correlated with a new aging parameter (A). Both the reduction of impact fracture toughness and the shift of ductile-brittle transition temperature were strongly dependent on the δ-ferrite content and degree of thermal aging. A linear relationship was found between the increasing rate of the index transition temperature T 41J and aging parameter A; base on which an empirical model was proposed for prediction of the transition temperature as a simple function of the aging parameter (A) and δ-ferrite content (F). Finally, the critical aging parameter for embrittlement (AC) was evaluated and compared with the existing δ-ferrite content criteria.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Surface integrity and fatigue behaviour of electric discharged machined and milled austenitic stainless steel

Machining of austenitic stainless steels can result in different surface integrities and different machining process parameters will have a great impact on the component fatigue life. Understanding how machining processes affect the cyclic behaviour and microstructure are of outmost importance in order to improve existing and new life estimation models. Milling and electrical discharge machining (EDM) have been used to manufacture rectangular four-point bend fatigue test samples; subjected to high cycle fatigue. Before fatigue testing, surface integrity characterisation of the two surface conditions was conducted using scanning electron microscopy, surface roughness, residual stress profiles, and hardness profiles. Differences in cyclic behaviour were observed between the two surface conditions by the fatigue testing. The milled samples exhibited a fatigue limit. EDM samples did not show the same behaviour due to ratcheting. Recrystallized nano sized grains were identified at the severely plastically deformed surface of the milled samples. Large amounts of bent mechanical twins were observed ~ 5 μm below the surface. Grain shearing and subsequent grain rotation from milling bent the mechanical twins. EDM samples showed much less plastic deformation at the surface. Surface tensile residual stresses of ~ 500 MPa and ~ 200 MPa for the milled and EDM samples respectively were measured. - Highlights: •Milled samples exhibit fatigue behaviour, but not EDM samples. •Four-point bending is not suitable for materials exhibiting pronounced ratcheting. •LAGB density can be used to quantitatively measure plastic deformation. •Grain shearing and rotation result in bent mechanical twins. •Nano sized grains evolve due to the heat of the operation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Brazing titanium to stainless steel

Titanium and stainless-steel members are usually joined mechanically for lack of any other effective method. New approach using different brazing alloy and plating steel member with nickel resolves problem. Process must be carried out in inert atmosphere.

Batista, R. I.↗

Stress corrosion cracking evaluation of martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steels

The resistance of the martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steels PH13-8Mo, 15-5PH, and 17-4PH to stress corrosion cracking was investigated. Round tensile and c-ring type specimens taken from several heats of the three alloys were stressed up to 100 percent of their yield strengths and exposed to alternate immersion in salt water, to salt spray, and to a seacoast environment. The results indicate that 15-5PH is highly resistant to stress corrosion cracking in conditions H1000 and H1050 and is moderately resistant in condition H900. The stress corrosion cracking resistance of PH13-8Mo and 17-4PH stainless steels in conditions H1000 and H1050 was sensitive to mill heats and ranged from low to high among the several heats included in the tests. Based on a comparison with data from seacoast environmental tests, it is apparent that alternate immersion in 3.5 percent salt water is not a suitable medium for accelerated stress corrosion testing of these pH stainless steels.

Humphries, T. S.↗

Superhard Nanocrystalline Homometallic Stainless Steel on Steel for Seamless Coatings

The objective of this work is to deposit nanocrystalline stainless steel onto steel substrates (homometallic) for enhanced wear and corrosion resistance. Homometallic coatings provide superior adhesion, and it has been shown that ultrafine-grained materials exhibit the increased hardness and decreased permeability desired for protective coatings. Nanocrystals will be produced by controlling nucleation and growth and use of an ion beam during deposition by e-beam evaporation or sputtering. Phase I is depositing 31 6L nanocrystalline stainless steel onto 31 6L stainless steel substrates. These coatings exhibit hardnesses comparable to those normally obtained for ceramic coatings such ZrO2, and possess the superior adhesion of seamless, homometallic coatings. Hardening the surface with a similar material also enhances adhesion, by avoiding problems associated with thermal and lattice mismatch. So far we have deposited nanocrystalline homometallic 316L stainless steel coatings by varying the ions and the current density of the ion beams. For all deposition conditions we have produced smooth, uniform, superhard coatings. All coatings exhibit hardness of at least 200% harder than that of bulk materials. Our measurements indicate that there is a direct relationship between nanohardness and the current density of the ion beam. Stress measurements indicate that stress in the films is increasingly proportional to current density of the ion beam. TEM, XPS, and XRD results indicate that the coated layers consist of FCC structure nanocrystallites with a dimension of about 10 to 20 nm. The Ni and Mo concentration of these coating are lower than those of bulk 316L but the concentration of Cr is higher.

Tobin, Eric J.↗

Crush Strengths of Stainless Steel Honeycomb for Packaging

Honeycomb structures are used as energy absorbers to dissipate kinetic energy. Their low density to high axial strength and inexpensive cost make them ideal for the energy absorption application. Mechanical properties of lightweight materials are well known compared to more dense materials like stainless steel. Determines the viability of using 304 Stainless Steel honeycomb in future SRNL radioactive material packages. Using a combination of the material properties and testing procedures both static and dynamic crush strength of stainless steel honeycomb will be determined. Both static and dynamic crush strengths of stainless steel honeycomb need to be quantified because strain rate plays a role in the material strength. The stainless steel honeycomb being tested will be cut into sections of about 2.0 inches in width, 2.3 inches in length and 2.5 inches in height. The cell size of the material is 0.25 in and the ribbon thickness 0.003 in. The material has a yield strength of 48 ksi and an ultimate strength of 103.2 ksi, with an elastic modulus of 29,300 ksi. Compression testing to determine the static crush strength will use an Instron compression test machine. This Instron machine uses a 20 ksi capacity load cell, while recording data at varying low strain rates. Dynamic impact testing will involve dropping a 43.8 lb impactor from a height around 5 feet onto the stainless steel honeycomb. The honeycomb structure will be on a rigid surface and the impactor will be dropped via a quick release hook. Dynamic crush strength is determined from the weight of the impactor, height of the drop and difference in height of the honeycomb after the drop.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

2017 Status report-Tritium aging studies on stainless steel: Effect of hydrogen, tritium and decay helium on the fracture-toughness properties of stem, cup and block forgings

The materials of construction of tritium reservoirs are forged stainless steels. During service, the structural properties of the stainless steel change over time because of the diffusion of tritium into the reservoir wall and its radioactive decay to helium-3. This aging effect can cause cracks to initiate and grow which could result in a tritium leak or delayed failure of a tritium reservoir. Numerous factors affect the tendency for crack formation and propagation and are being investigated in this program. The goal of the research is to provide relevant fracture mechanics data that can be used by the design agencies in their assessments of tritium reservoir structural integrity. In this status report, new experimental results are presented on the effects of tritium and decay helium on the cracking properties of specimens taken from actual tritium reservoir forgings instead of the experimental forgings of past programs. The properties measured are more representative of actual reservoir properties because the microstructure of the specimens tested are more like that of the actual tritium reservoirs. The program was designed to measure the effects of material variables on tritium compatibility and includes two stainless steels (Type 304L and 316L stainless steel), multiple yield strengths (360-500 MPa), and multiple forging shapes (Stem, Cup, and Block).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influence of differential speed rolling ratio on the ridging behavior of ultra purified 17%Cr ferritic stainless steel

Highlights: • Differential rolling process improves ridging resistance of ferritic stainless steel. • Texture orientation inhomogeneity were attributed to non-uniform deformation. • Shear bands results in homogeneous deformation and recrystallization nucleation. • Uniform recrystallization grains and random orientation grains were obtained. - Abstract: The effect of the differential speed rolling on the ridging resistance and the crystallographic texture evolution of ultra purified 17%Cr ferritic stainless steel was investigated in order to select the optimal procedure for improving the surface quality. In the present study, the three different cold rolling processes were carried out: a conventional cold rolling and two different speed ratios asymmetric rolling. In the conventional cold rolling, the ridging of ferritic stainless steel was pronounced due to the band-like clusters of grains with similar crystallographic orientations. For differential speed rolling, ridging depth decreased and ridging was less pronounced when a higher different speed ratio was applied. The results show that severe ridging is attributed to the presence of band-like clusters of γ-fiber (<111>//ND) oriented grains. The shear bands introduced by differential speed rolling can enhance the nucleation for recrystallization both in grain interiors and grain boundaries, which can fragment the band-like clusters of similar orientation effectively, promoting the random grain orientation and improving surface quality.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Wear and Corrosion Resistances of Active Screen Plasma-Nitrided Duplex Stainless Steels

Two grades of duplex stainless steel, SAF 2205 and SAF 2507, were nitrided using an active screen plasma process carried out at 380 °C for 10 h and were characterized in terms of microstructure and hardness. Wear resistance was assessed by means of linear scratch tests, using loads below and above the critical load. Potentiodynamic polarization was used to analyze corrosion behavior in 0.6 M NaCl solution. X-ray diffractometry showed expanded austenite formation in all nitrided samples. The super duplex steel SAF 2507 showed much better scratch resistance, with low friction coefficient and greater toughness, as judged by the pattern of superficial cracks when it was tested above the critical load. The corrosion behavior of steels was also different, mainly in the active region, and nitriding had a more beneficial effect upon SAF 2507. The potential relative to the transpassive region was practically unaffected by the nitriding.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Characterization of in-situ and ex-situ ion-irradiated additively manufactured 316L and 316H stainless steels

Additively manufactured (AM) 316 stainless steel (SS) differs from its wrought counterpart in its unique dislocation cell structure and the presence of segregation and oxide particles at the cell walls. This work investigated the evolution of the microstructure in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 316L and 316H SS under in-situ 1 MeV Kr ion irradiation at 600 °C to 5 dpa, and ex-situ 4 MeV Ni ion irradiation at 300 °C and 600 °C from 0.2 dpa to 10 dpa, with a dose rate for all experiments of 10 -3 dpa/s. The results reveal that the dislocation cell structure results in heterogeneous formation of dislocation loops and voids, particularly at 600 °C, where loops tend to form within the cell interiors while voids form at the cell boundaries. LPBF 316H has a reduced level of swelling compared to LPBF 316L due to prolonged incubation. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) mapping indicates Ni and Si segregation at void surfaces due to radiation-induced segregation. At 300 °C, where voids are absent, the distribution of dislocation loops and stacking fault tetrahedra appears to be uniform. Dislocation cell structures mostly disappeared by 2 dpa for all conditions in this work. M 23 C 6 carbides were observed in LPBF 316H at 600 °C as early as 0.2 dpa, but not in LPBF 316L. Nanoindentation was performed to obtain the hardness of irradiated materials. In conclusion, this work illustrated the influence of additive manufacturing processes on microstructure evolution under irradiation, revealing the differences as well as the similarities as compared with wrought 316 SS, and the AM-related phenomenon that can potentially occur under neutron irradiation in nuclear reactors.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Relationship Between Microstructure and Marine Corrosion Resistance of Martensitic Stainless Steels: A Multiscale Approach

The electrochemical properties of martensitic stainless steels may depend on complex aspects of their microstructure. Three alloys were considered in this study: X30Cr13 (AISI 420), a martensitic stainless steel with a low content of alloying elements; X17CrNi16-2 (AISI 431), chosen for its strong resistance to corrosion; and X5CrNiCu15-5 (AISI 630), chosen for its good mechanical resistance. Voltammetry tests have shown the influence of carbon and chromium content on corrosion resistance. Resistance to pitting appears equivalent for the both. However, heterogeneous corrosion, in relation to δ-ferrite precipitation and chromium carbides at the lath boundaries, appears in the case of X17CrNi16-2. Conversely, non-preferential corrosion occurs in the case of the X5CrNiCu15-5, and a superior passive film stability during immersion in artificial seawater. This counterbalance negative effect of the microstructure. Thus, it achieves an equivalent “macroscopically” corrosion behavior between the two steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of EN 1.4509 Stainless Steel Cast Using Investment Casting

The high-temperature (600-900 °C) mechanical properties of EN 1.4509 stainless steel made by investment casting were studied by changing the Nb content based on this stainless steel composition standard. The results indicate that with an increase in tensile temperature, the high-temperature strength shows a downward trend and the high-temperature plasticity increases. The results also indicate that with an increase in Nb content, the high-temperature strength rises continually and the high-temperature plasticity decreases; for example, the tensile strengths at 900 °C of Steel A, Steel B and Steel C are 21, 25 and 31 MPa, respectively, and the yield strengths are 15, 20 and 22 MPa, respectively, and the elongations are 97.7, 85.3 and 73.7%, respectively. The high-temperature tensile strength of the investment casting EN 1.4509 stainless steel sample is closely related to the bulk (Ti, Nb) (C, N) and the Laves phase (Fe{sub 2}Nb) at the ferritic grain boundaries and in the ferritic grains. These are the main factors for improvement in the high-temperature strength of the tested steels; additionally, the coarse ferritic grains also play a certain role in improving the mechanical properties. The Nb content of the investment casting EN 1.4509 stainless steel can be reduced to 0.25 wt.%, and at this content, a combination of good high-temperature mechanical properties and higher room-temperature plasticity is obtained.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A comparison of adiabatic shear bands in wrought and additively manufactured 316L stainless steel using nanoindentation and electron backscatter diffraction

The resistance of stainless steels to shear localization is dependent on processing and microstructure. The amount of research evaluating the shear response of additively manufactured (AM) stainless steels compared to traditionally manufactured ones is limited. To address this gap, experiments were performed on directed energy deposition AM as-built and wrought 316L stainless steel using a forced shear technique with a hat-shaped specimen and a Split-Hopkinson pressure bar. The resulting adiabatic shear bands were characterized with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and nanoindentation to quantify the changes in microstructure and deformation hardening across shear band regions and between the wrought and AM materials. Despite significant differences between the wrought and AM materials including the forced shear response, the postmortem states of work hardening due to the shear band deformation are nearly the same. The maximum nanoindentation stresses occurred in the shear band center with similar magnitudes and only minor differences away from the shear band. Although EBSD data cannot be resolved in the shear band center, misorientation trends, particularly grain reference orientation deviation, were found to closely resemble nanoindentation trends. In conclusion, the combination of EBSD misorientation and nanoindentation, which are linked through changes in dislocation density, is a viable protocol to quantify local changes to macroscopically applied deformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fracture Toughness Properties of Tritium Charged and Aged Stainless Steels: SRNL and SNL Collaboration Test Plan and 2018 Results

Forged stainless steels are used as the materials of construction for tritium reservoirs. During service, tritium diffuses into the reservoir walls and radioactively decays to helium-3. Tritium and decay helium cause a higher propensity for cracking which could lead to a tritium leak or failure of a tritium reservoir. Fracture toughness properties are needed for designing tritium reservoirs and evaluating the long-term effects of tritium on their structural properties. A key result of prior studies is that the long-term cracking resistance of stainless steels in tritium service depends greatly on the interaction between decay helium and the steels’ forged microstructure. Designers and modelers at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) have identified key gaps in the data available on material performance in tritium. Thus, a collaborative plan and schedule of tests have been developed with SRNL and SNL to fill these gaps using a range of tensile test and fracture mechanics test geometries, at stockpile relevant temperatures. These studies target the fundamental deformation mechanisms and the influence of tritium-decay-helium on their behavior. This report outlines the goals of each program and describes the sample test matrices and experimental conditions. This report fulfills the requirements for a portion of the Enhanced Surveillance Campaign (ESC) FY19 Level 2 milestone 6725 to deliver an annual report on the aging studies of reservoir materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hydrogen Diffusion Through Stainless Steel

SAND2025-14430O Hydrogen Diffusion Through Stainless Steel is a tool that employs a finite difference method algorithm to solve Fick's law and other mass transport models pertinent to the diffusion of hydrogen through stainless steel. Additionally, the software uses particle swarm optimization to determine physical parameters based on experimental data. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Mason, Tyler [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Liver↗