• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.12
• /
• pp.771-779
• /
• 2008

An effective way of increasing the strength and fracture toughness of reactor pressure vessel steels is to change the material specification from that of Mn-Mo-Ni low alloy steel(SA508 Gr.3) to Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steel(SA508 Gr.4N). In this study, we evaluate the effects of alloying elements on the microstructural characteristics of Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steel. The changes in the stable phase of the SA508 Gr.4N low alloy steel with alloying elements were evaluated by means of a thermodynamic calculation conducted with the software ThermoCalc. The changes were then compared with the observed microstructural results. The calculation of Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steels confirms that the ferrite formation temperature decreases as the Ni content increases because of the austenite stabilization effect. Consequently, in the microscopic observation, the lath martensitic structure becomes finer as the Ni content increases. However, Ni does not affect the carbide phases such as $M_{23}C_6 $ and $M_7C_3$. When the Cr content decreases, the carbide phases become unstable and carbide coarsening can be observed. With an increase in the Mo content, the $M_2C$ phase becomes stable instead of the $M_7C_3$ phase. This behavior is also observed in TEM. From the calculation results and the observation results of the microstructure, the thermodynamic calculation can be used to predict the precipitation behavior.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.17-24
• /
• 2011

To investigate the relationship between heat treatment in zirconium alloy tubing process and metallurgical characteristics of Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy tubes, mechanical and oxidation behaviors of tubes heat treated at different temperatures after the final pilgering were investigated. The stress strain curves exhibited the saturation behaviors in all heat treatment conditions ($460{\sim}600^{\circ}C$) in this study with the onset strain of saturation increased with increase of post-pilgering annealing temperature. The strength fell off rapidly with increasing annealing temperature. The ultimate strength of the low tin Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy with slightly higher iron and oxygen contents in this study was found to be higher than Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1Fe alloy. The oxidation experiments in steam condition revealed that the corrosion resistance of low tin Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy was better than the Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1Fe alloy with a higher Sn content. The weight gain of low tin Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy tubes gradually increased with the increasing annealing temperature possibly due to the decreased Nb content in the matrix because of the formation of ${\beta}-Nb$ particles.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.10
• /
• pp.634-645
• /
• 2008

In this study, surface composites were fabricated with Fe-based amorphous alloy powders and VC powders by high-energy electron beam irradiation, and the correlation of their microstructure with hardness and fracture toughness was investigated. Mixture of Fe-based metamorphic powders and VC powders were deposited on a plain carbon steel substrate, and then electron beam was irradiated on these powders without flux to fabricate surface composites. The composite layers of 1.3~1.8 mm in thickness were homogeneously formed without defects and contained a large amount (up to 47 vol.%) of hard $Cr_2B$ and $V_8C_7$ crystalline particles precipitated in the solidification cell region and austenite matrix, respectively. The hardness of the surface composites was directly influenced by hard $Cr_2B$ and $V_8C_7$ particles, and thus was about 2 to 4 times greater than that of the steel substrate. Observation of the microfracture process and measurement of fracture toughness of the surface composites indicated that the fracture toughness increased with increasing additional volume fraction of $V_8C_7$ particles because $V_8C_7$ particles effectively played a role in blocking the crack propagation along the solidification cell region heavily populated with $Cr_2B$ particles. Particularly in the surface composite fabricated with Fe-based metamorphic powders and 30 % of VC powders, the hardness and fracture toughness were twice higher than those of the surface composite fabricated without mixing of VC powders.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.355-361
• /
• 2011

Creep behaviors of the Zr-1.Nb-0.5Cu (HANA-6) alloy strips with different orientations were investigated. Anisotropy was observed in the samples depending on their physical orientations due to the formation of texture in their microstructures. The creep strain rate was increased as the test stress and temperature increased. The rate was higher along the rolling-direction than in the transverse-direction irrespective of annealing conditions. However, the samples with $45^{\circ}$ direction showed different behaviors depending on the annealing temperature. When strips were finally annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ for 10 min, the primary creep rate of the $45^{\circ}$ strip was the highest among the various orientations although the saturated creep rate was the lowest. In the case of final annealing at $660^{\circ}C$ for 4 h, the highest creep rate occurred throughout the creep test in the $45^{\circ}$ strip. It is considered that the fraction of (100) planes along the direction of creep deformation affect the creep rates.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.50 no.10
• /
• pp.711-720
• /
• 2012

In this study, the effect of aging treatment on the microstructure and tensile properties of AZ61-xPd (x = 0, 1 and 2 wt%) alloys were investigated. The microstructure of as-cast AZ61-xPd alloys mainly consisted of ${\alpha}-Mg$, $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ and $Al_4Pd$ phases. After solution treatment, most of the $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ phases were dissolved into the Mg matrix. Thereafter, $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ phases were finely formed and distributed near thermally stable $Al_4Pd$ phases and inside the grains through aging treatment at $220^{\circ}C$ during 88 hours. With the aging at $220^{\circ}C$, the peak aged AZ61-xPd alloys showed higher hardness than as-cast and solution treated AZ61-xPd alloys. In particular, the AZ61-1Pd alloy was optimized due to refined $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ and $Al_4Pd$ phases. Further, the peak aging time was reduced with increasing Pd addition (>1 wt%). Tensile strength was increased by Pd addition at $25^{\circ}C$, $150^{\circ}C$, both as-cast and peak aged AZ61-xPd alloys. After aging treatment, room and high temperature tensile strength were increased more than the as-cast specimens. The AZ61-1Pd alloy especially showed the largest strength increase range. Elongation was decreased with addition Pd at $25^{\circ}C$ and $150^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.338-344
• /
• 2008

The crystallization kinetics of the $Cu_{43}Zr_{43}Al_7Be_7$ bulk metallic glass were studied by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) in the continuous heating and isothermal annealing modes. Only one major peak could be detected on the DSC traces of $Cu_{43}Zr_{43}Al_7Be_7$ bulk amorphous alloy, and the activation energy for crystallization corresponding to the peak determined by the Kissinger method was resulted of 239 kJ/mol. The isothermal kinetic, analyzed by the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation yielded values for the Avrami exponents in the range 1.69 to 2.37, which implied a crystallization governed by a three-dimensioned growth. Primary phases were essentially the cubic structure CuZr together with the $Cu_{10}Zr_7$ phase. At higher temperature, the CuZr disappeared while the $Cu_{10}Zr_7$ became predominant. After long term annealing at 731 K, the phases were $Cu_{10}Zr_7$, $Cu_2ZrAl$ and $Al_3Zr_5$.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.9
• /
• pp.593-603
• /
• 2008

In this study, effects of alloying elements on the sticking occurring during hot rolling of five kinds of ferritic STS430J1L stainless steels were investigated by analyzing high-temperature hardness and oxidation behavior of the rolled steels. Hot-rolling simulation tests were conducted by a high-temperature wear tester which could simulate actual hot rolling. The simulation test results revealed that the sticking process proceeded with three stages, i.e., nucleation, growth, and saturation. Since the hardness continuously decreased as the test temperature increased, whereas the formation of Fe-Cr oxides in the rolled steel surface region increased, the sticking of five stainless steels was evaluated by considering both the high-temperature hardness and oxidation effects. The addition of Zr, Cu, or Si had a beneficial effect on the sticking resistance, while the Ni addition did not show any difference in the sticking. Particularly in the case of the Si addition, Si oxides formed first in the initial stage of high-temperature oxidation, worked as initiation sites for Fe-Cr oxides, accelerated the formation of Fe-Cr oxides, and thus raised the sticking resistance by about 10 times in comparison with the steel without Si content.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.47 no.8
• /
• pp.474-481
• /
• 2009

The effects of final heat treatment on the mechanical and corrosion properties of a Zr alloy strip incorporating Nb were investigated. The chemical composition of the strip was Zr-1.49Nb-0.38Sn-0.20Fe-0.11Cr, and strip specimens were subjected to final heat treatment in a temperature range of $580{\sim}700^{\circ}C$. Tensile tests at room temperature and $316^{\circ}C$, along with corrosion tests in a simulated PWR loop and a 70 ppm LiOH solution environment at $360^{\circ}C$, were performed on the specimens. The mechanical properties of the strip were saturated when the specimens received final heat treatment at an elevated temperature of more than $640^{\circ}C$. However, the corrosion resistance of the strip in the simulated PWR loop and in the 70 ppm LiOH solution environment was improved with a decrease of the final annealing temperature. It is recommended that the alloy strip be finally heat-treated at a temperature of less than $620^{\circ}C$ for longer than 10 minutes in order to obtain fully recrystallized microstructures, and thereby attain enlarged tensile elongation, and to prevent the precipitation of ${\beta}-Zr$, which is known to deteriorate the corrosion resistance.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.154-162
• /
• 2010

A fundamental study of the distillation behavior of ferromanganese alloy melts was carried out at 1773 K and 0.1333 kPa (=1 Torr). During the distillation of ferromanganese alloy melts under reduced pressure, manganese vaporizes preferentially to phosphorus and other solute elements. High purity manganese metal with a very low content of solute elements can be obtained by distillation of ferromanganese alloy melts. The evaporation of manganese is suppressed as the carbon content of ferromanganese alloy melt increases due to the decrease of activity and vapor pressure of the manganese. When the carbon content of ferromanganese alloy melt is high, melt droplets are ejected from the bath, especially in the early stages of the distillation, and the solute elements in the splashed droplets contaminate the condensed material. The ejection of melt droplets is presumed to be caused by the increase of melting temperature and viscosity of the surface layer of melt due to the enrichment of solute elements such as carbon and iron.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.28-38
• /
• 2010

High temperature high cycle and low cycle fatigue deformation behavior of automotive heat resistant aluminum alloys (A356 and A319 based) were investigated in this study. The microstructures of both alloys were composed of primary Al-Si dendrite and eutectic Si phase. However, the size and distribution for eutectic Si phase varied: a coarse and inhomogeneous distributed was observed in alloy B (A319 based). A brittle intermethallic phase of ${\alpha}-Fe\;Al_{12}(Fe,Mn)_3Si_2$ was detected only in B alloy. Alloy B exhibited high fatigue life only under a high stress amplitued condition in the high cycle fatigue results, whereas alloy A showed high fatigue life when stress was lowered. With regard to the low-cycle fatigue result ($250^{\circ}C$) showing higher fatigue life as ductility increased, alloy A demonstrated higher fatigue life under all of the strain amplitude conditions. Fractographic observations showed that large porosities and pores near the outside surface could be the main factor in the formation of fatigue cracks. In alloy B. micro-cracks were formed in both the brittle intermetallic and coarse Si phasese. These micro-cracks then coalesced together and provided a path for fatigue crack propagation. From the observation of the differences in microstructure and fractography of these two automotive alloys, the authors attempt to explain the high-temperature fatigue deformation behavior of heat resistant aluminum alloys.