Microstructural evolution in S31042 heat-resistant steel after service and the effect on hardness

Abstract

The ultra-supercritical power generation technology with high energy efficiency and low emissions is one of the important ways to solve the current increasingly prominent energy problems in the context of international development requirements for carbon neutrality and the increasingly prominent energy shortage. Because of its excellent resistance to high temperature corrosion and organizational stability, S31042 is commonly employed in the most severe working environment of ultra-supercritical units. Due to its great resistance to high-temperature corrosion and organizational stability, S31042 is commonly employed in the most demanding components of ultra-supercritical units such as high-temperature reheaters and high-temperature superheaters. Various characterisation approaches were employed in this research to reflect the microstructure of S31042 heat-resistant steel in service under various time length conditions, and the hardness of S31042 heat-resistant steel was assessed under the corresponding service conditions. The results showed that the hardness of S31042 increased significantly with increasing service time, from around 160 Hv at the time of non-service to nearly 220 Hv after 75360 hours of service. The continuous distribution of uniformly sized M23C6 phase on the grain boundaries of S31042 developed toward grain coarsening after service, but the precipitation strengthening effect produced by the nanoscale secondary NbCrN phase appearing in the grains was the main reason for the increase of the hardness value of S31042, according to the microstructure of the material.