Creep Deformation Behavior and Microstructural Degradation During Creep of Pre-Strained 25Cr-20Ni-Nb-N Steel

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the creep deformation behavior and microstructural degradation during creep of pre-strained 25Cr-20Ni-Nb-N steel (TP310HCbN), which has the highest creep strength among austenite stainless steels used for boiler tubes. The creep rupture strengths of the 20% pre-strained materials tested at 650°C under 210 MPa and 180 MPa were higher than those of solution-treated materials. However, the long time creep rupture strengths of the 20% pre-strained materials tested at 700°C and 750°C were lower than those of solution-treated materials. Thus, the creep strengths of the prestrained materials depend on test temperature and stress. Furthermore, the minimum creep rate of the 20% pre-strained materials and re-solution-treated materials tested at 650°C under 300MPa were 1.2 × 10−9 and 1.6 × 10−8 s−1, respectively. Thus, the minimum creep rate of the 20% pre-strained materials was lower than for re-solution-treated materials. The creep strengthening mechanism of the pre-strained materials at 650°C was considered to be that high-density dislocations were maintained until the late stage of creep. On the other hand, the creep rupture strengths of the 20% pre-strained materials were lower than those of solution-treated materials tested at over 700°C because of agglomeration and coarsening of precipitates and the recovery of dislocations.