Microstructure and microchemistry variation during thermal exposure of low alloy steels

Abstract

The microstructure of an ex-service (136,000 h) Fe–1Cr–1Mo–0.25V (wt%) low alloy steel turbine rotor was investigated using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) techniques in TEM/STEM on extraction replicas. Since different stages of the rotor experience different thermal histories, an examination of microstructural variations can serve as a method to indicate metallurgical factors affecting service-lifetime of the material. The coldest, hottest and most embrittled stages were taken for investigation. The overall fraction of carbide precipitation was measured using image analysis techniques and results indicated that the hottest stage possessed the highest precipitate volume fraction. Large area EDXS analysis using a defocused electron beam was also performed on the replica samples and this was supported by spot analyses using scanning TEM to identify individual carbides so as to allow quantification of the enrichment of solute into carbides as a function of service temperature. Three-dimensional atom probe field ion microscopy was also used to assess the chemistry at the interface between matrix and precipitate.