Study on the Improvement of Strength for 12% Chromium Steel Rotor

12% Cr 로터강의 강도 개선에 관한 연구

To check technical improvement in the soundness and strength of 12% Cr steel rotor, a 25 tons of rotor with 65 tons of ingot was made in real size and was cut to pieces to take test samples, and the various mechanical tests such as impact, tensile, creep, and fatigue were carried out. The strengths are compared with those of 1% Cr-Mo-V rotor of same size. Microstructures of the samples are examined and reviewed. The results can be summarized as follows. 1) Fracture appearance transition temperatures are 80.deg. C at the center part and 60.deg. C near surface of 12% Cr rotor, and 8.deg. C near surface of 1% Cr-Mo-V rotor. 2) Comparative rapid softening occurs at higher temperatures above 600.deg. C for 12% Cr steel and 550.deg. C for 1% Cr-Mo-V steel in tension tests. 3) Fatigue crack propagation rate of 12% Cr steel is almost same as that of 1% Cr-Mo-V steel at the same corresponding surface part of the rotors. The crack growth rate of center part of 12% Cr rotor is faster than near surface part of the rotor, and the crack growth rate at the load condition of R=0.04 is slower than that of the load condition of R=0.5 for both 12% Cr steel and 1% Cr-Mo-V steel. 4) Crack growth rate of radial direction near surface of 12% Cr rotor is faster than that of transverse direction at the same part because of the difference in residual stresses. 5) Both creep and fatigue strengths of 12% Cr steel are superior to those of 1% Cr-Mo-V steel and the difference is thought the effect of climb and glide controlled creep by solid solution of alloying elements and dispersion of carbides.