Comparative Tensile Flow and Work-Hardening Behavior of 9 Pct Chromium Ferritic-Martensitic Steels in the Framework of the Estrin–Mecking Internal-Variable Approach

Abstract

The comparative tensile flow and work-hardening behavior of P9 steel in two different product forms, normalized and tempered plate and thick section tube plate forging, and P91 steel were investigated in the framework of the dislocation dynamics based Estrin–Mecking (E–M) one-internal-variable approach. The analysis indicated that the flow behavior of P9 and P91 steels was adequately described by the E–M approach in a wide range of temperatures. It was suggested that dislocation dense martensite lath/cell boundaries and precipitates together act as effective barriers to dislocation motion in P9 and P91 steels. At room and intermediate temperatures, the evolution of the internal-state variable, i.e., the dislocation density with plastic strain, exhibited insignificant variations with respect to temperature. At high temperatures, a rapid evolution of dislocation density with plastic strain toward saturation with increasing temperature was observed. The softer P9 steel tube plate forging exhibited higher work hardening in terms of larger gains in the dislocation density and flow stress contribution from dislocations than the P9 steel plate and P91 steel at temperatures ranging from 300 K to 873 K (27 °C to 600 °C). The evaluation of activation energy suggests that the deformation is controlled by cross-slip of dislocations at room and intermediate temperatures, and climb of dislocations at high temperatures. The relative influence of initial microstructure on flow and work-hardening parameters associated with the E–M approach was discussed in the three temperature regimes displayed by P9 and P91 steels.