1989 Volume 75 Issue 5 Pages 825-832
Creep rupture ductility becomes one of the important properties of austenitic stainless steels as structural materials for fast breeder reactors. Using high purity nickel-chromium austenitic steels, the effects of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus on creep rupture ductility were investigated. Creep rupture tests were conducted at 600°C and extensive microstructural works were performed. The results were as follows.
Rupture strength increases with carbon or nitrogen content. Although the rupture ductility decreases with carbon, change in ductility with nitrogen is small. The ductility loss with carbon is due to the grain boundary embrittlement by carbides. With nitrogen, there is no precipitation during creep. Addition of phosphorus to ultra low carbon and nitrogen steels increases their rupture strength and ductility. Fine precipitates of (Fe, Cr)2P are uniformly dispersed in the grains and coarse (Fe, Cr)2P also precipitates on the grain boundary during creep. Grain boundary migration occurs extensively and few wedge type cracks are observed in the P containing steels. It is concluded that, from the viewpoint of increasing creep rupture ductility, nitrogen is much more effective than carbon and phosphorus is also beneficial.
