Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of heat treatment and testing temperature on fracture mechanics behavior of low-Si CA-15 stainless steel

  • Published:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This research studied the effects of heat treatment and testing temperature on fracture mechanics behavior of Si-modified CA-15 martensitic stainless steel (MSS), which is similar to AISI 403 grade stainless steel, which has been widely used in wall and blanket structures and in the pipe of nuclear power plant reactors, turbine blades, and nozzles. The results indicated that fracture toughness of low-Si CA-15 MSS is better than that of AISI 403. The specimens of the low-Si CA-15 MSS after austenitization at 1010 °C and then tempering at 300 °C have higher plane-strain fracture toughness (K IC ) values for both 25 °C and −150 °C testing temperatures. However, the specimens tested at 150 °C cannot satisfy the plane-strain fracture toughness criteria. The fatigue crack growth rate is the slowest after austenitization at 1010 °C for 2 hours and tempering at 400 °C. Observing the crack propagation paths using a metallographic test, it was found that the cracking paths preferred orientation and branched along ferrite phase, owing to martensite-phase strengthening and grain-boundary-carbide retarding after 300 °C to 400 °C tempering. Also, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed to correlate the properties attained to the microstructural observation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P.R. Sreenivasan, S.K. Ray, S.L. Mannan, and P. Rodriguez: J. Nucl. Mater., 1996, vol. 228, pp. 338–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. C. Gupta, J.S. Dubey, S. Ganguly, A.R. Biswas, Y.V. Kamat, and J.K. Chakravartty: High Temp. Mater. Processes, 1997, vol. 16 (1), pp. 65–75.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. ASM Handbook, vol. 1, Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels, and High-Performance Alloys, 10th ed., ASM, Materials Park, OH, 1990, pp. 908–29.

  4. Standard Test Method for Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness of Metallic Materials, ASTM E399, ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1997, pp. 408–38.

  5. ASM Handbook, vol. 4, Heat Treating, ASM, Materials Park, OH, 1991, pp. 789–92.

  6. “Constant-Load-Amplitude Fatigue Crack Growth Rate above 1028 mm/cycle,” ASTM E647, ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1984, pp. 716–30.

  7. “Standard Practice for R-Curve Determination,” ASTM E561, ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1977, pp. 489–501.

  8. M.C. Balmforth and J.C. Lippold: Welding J., 1998, pp. 1–7.

  9. Baihe Miao, D.O. Northwood, L.C. Lim, and M.O. Lai: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1993, vol. A171, pp. 21–33.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. P.C. Paris and F. Erdogan: Trans. ASME J. Basic Eng., 1963, vol. 85, p. 528.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. A.F. Hiber: AFS Trans., 1978, vol. 86, p. 143.

    Google Scholar 

  12. C. Gupta, S.L. Wadekar, J.S. Dubey, R.T. Savalia, K.S. Balakrishnan, S. Anantharaman, Y.V. Kamat, and J.K. Chakravartty: High Temp. Mater. Processes, 1997, vol. 16 (2), pp. 149–57.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Materials Engineering, Tatung University, Taiwan 10451, Republic of China

    Cheng-Hsun Hsu (Professor), Shen-Chih Lee (Professor) & Hwei-Yuan Teng Ph.D. (Candidate)

Authors
  1. Cheng-Hsun Hsu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shen-Chih Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hwei-Yuan Teng Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hsu, CH., Lee, SC. & Teng, HY. Effects of heat treatment and testing temperature on fracture mechanics behavior of low-Si CA-15 stainless steel. Metall Mater Trans A 35, 471–480 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0358-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0358-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation