Abstract

Shielded metal arc welding electrodes of a modified E316-15 austenitic stainless steel, for service at 673–823 K with delta ferrite in the range of 3–7 ferrite number, have been developed indigenously for welding of 316L(N) stainless steel structural materials for the Indian Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor. Delta ferrite content in weld metals for high temperature service is restricted for limiting the formation of embrittling secondary phases during service. To study the effect of high temperature exposure on microstructure and mechanical properties, the 316 weld metal was aged at three different temperatures of 923, 973 and 1023 K, for various durations up to 500 h. The activation energy for the transformation of delta ferrite has been estimated to analyse the mechanism associated with the micro structural changes that led to the deterioration in toughness on elevated temperature aging of this weld metal.

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