Morphology and composition characteristics of solid solution in Te-treated Y1Cr17 steel

Abstract

This paper aims to study the effect of tellurium (Te) on the morphology and composition characteristics of a tellurium-bearing solid solution in Y1Cr17 stainless steel. By adding various quantities of tellurium powders to steel, smelting experiments were carried out with a tube electric furnace. In addition, the two- and three-dimensional morphologies of sulfide inclusions in the steel along with elemental concentrations were detected by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Results show that tellurium enhanced the sizes of inclusions and more tellurium contributed to a more scattered distribution of the inclusions along the grain boundary in the metallic material. The forms of the inclusions in the steel were found to be (a) rodlike, (b) spindle and (c) spherical. The structures of the inclusions exposed were hollow and solid. Tellurium reduced the concentrations of niobium (Nb) and iron (Fe) and strengthened the concentration of chromium (Cr) in the solid solution and had great effect on the concentration of sulfur (S) in the tellurium-bearing solid solution.