Effect of pre-weld heat treatment on microstructure and creep strength of ICHAZ in grade 91 steel

Yiyu Wang, Wei Zhang, Zhili Feng

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

In this work, Grade 91 base metal was normalized with two different cooling conditions, water quenching and air cooling. The intercritical welding thermal cycle simulated by using the Gleeble system was applied to the heat-treated base metals to reproduce the intercritical heat-affected zone (ICHAZ). Microstructure, including precipitate and tempered martensite, of the base metal and ICHAZ was carefully characterized with advanced microscopy techniques. Creep strength of the simulated ICHAZs was evaluated at a high creep temperature of 650 °C with a stress of 100 MPa. A correlation between the microstructure and creep behavior of the ICHAZ is built to understand creep rupture mechanisms in the ICHAZ. The results show that more coarse carbides precipitated along the prior austenite grain boundaries after tempering in the water-quenched base metal. These carbides cannot be fully dissolved by the intercritical welding thermal cycle. The simulated ICHAZ generated from the water-quenched base metal underwent a higher grain recovery and growth during the typical post-weld heat treatment at 760 °C. Both simulated ICHAZs from two pre-weld heat treated base metals exhibit an extremely low creep resistance with a typical ductile fracture during creep testing. The faster grain growth and precipitate coarsening in the ICHAZ, simulated from the waterquenched base metal, made it even worse.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMaterials and Fabrication
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
ISBN (Electronic)9780791858981
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
EventASME 2019 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, PVP 2019 - San Antonio, United States
Duration: Jul 14 2019Jul 19 2019

Publication series

NameAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers, Pressure Vessels and Piping Division (Publication) PVP
Volume6B-2019
ISSN (Print)0277-027X

Conference

ConferenceASME 2019 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, PVP 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Antonio
Period07/14/1907/19/19

Funding

This work is funded by the Department of Energy R&D Award (FWP-FEAA118). R&D work is performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. The authors would like to thank Mr. Doug Kyle for his assistance in creep testing experiments.

FundersFunder number
Department of Energy R&D
UT-Battelle
U.S. Department of EnergyDE-AC05-00OR22725, FWP-FEAA118
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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