0000000000291596
AUTHOR
T. Guilbert
Kinetics of Sigma Phase Precipitation in Niobium-Stabilized Austenitic Stainless Steel and Effect on the Mechanical Properties
Stabilized austenitic stainless steels are widely used in nuclear and oil industries. The 316 Nb steel grade presented in this study holds a small amount of delta ferrite in the austenitic matrix which tends to transform into sigma phase during prolonged exposures in the temperature range of 600-1000°C. Sigma phase is promoted by ferritic elements such as chromium, molybdenum, niobium and silicon. Time-Temperature-Transformation (TTT) diagram of the δ-ferrite evolution is established thanks to DSC experiments and quantitative metallographic analysis. It is observed that the highest sigma phase formation rate occurs between 800 and 900°C, and that the transformation of ferrite begins after a…
Understanding sigma-phase precipitation in a stabilized austenitic stainless steel (316Nb) through complementary CALPHAD-based and experimental investigations
Abstract Sigma-phase precipitation in a 316Nb “stabilized” austenitic stainless steel was studied through complementary CALPHAD-based and dedicated experimental investigations. Thermokinetic calculations performed using Thermo-Calc (with the DICTRA module) and MatCalc software showed that the sigma phase (σ) precipitated directly at γ-austenite grain boundaries (GB) via a common solid-state reaction when carbon and nitrogen contents fell below a critical threshold. Residual δ ferrite was found to be more susceptible to σ-phase precipitation; this type of precipitation occurred via two mechanisms that depended on the concentration profiles of δ-ferrite stabilizing elements induced by previou…