Abstract
Abstract: Hydroturbine blades in hydroelectric power plants are subjected to erosion. Currently these blades are made of 13/4 martensitic stainless steel (ASTM grade A743). This steel suffers from several maintenance and welding related problems. Nitronic steels are being considered as an alternative to martensitic stainless steels since they have good weldability. In present work, erosive behaviour of 13/4 Martensitic and Nitrogen alloyed austenitic stainless steel (23/8N steel) has been studied. Cavitation erosion tests were carried out in distilled water at 20 KHz frequency at constant amplitude. Microstructure of eroded surface, mechanical properties and erosion rate were characterized. It was observed that 23/8N steel possesses excellent resistance to erosion in comparison to 13/4 martensitic steels. 23/8N steel showed good hardness coupled with high tensile toughness and work hardening ability, leading to improved erosion resistance.
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