Processing and Oxidation of Nitride Stabilized 18Cr-20Ni Stainless Steel

Abstract

AbstractThe present investigation explores the use of nitride precipitates for grain-size stabilization in a 18Cr-2ONi austenitic stainless steel for high temperature applications in oxidizing atmospheres. The potential for reductions in alloying contents of such steels has become a focus of research out of concern for the conservation of strategic alloying elements such as Cr. In order for the alloy to maintain superior oxidation resistance, it must sustain a fine grain size by virtue of effective grain boundary pinning by stable precipitates.Al and Ti microalloyed 18Cr-20Ni steels have been nitrided using rapid solidification processing (spray forming) and subjected to thermomechanical treatments to precipitate nitrides from the supersaturated solid solutions. The spray formed deposits were cold rolled to increase the density of dislocations, which act as sites for nucleation of nitride precipitates. The alloys were then annealed to nucleate and grow the precipitates, followed by cold rolling and recrystallization to generate a stable, fine grained microstructure. The Ti-microalloyed steel demonstrated high-temperature grain size stability by maintaining a grain size of≈7μm after 600h at 1000°C.The Ti-microalloyed steel has been subjected to isothermal oxidation in air at 900°C. The results of preliminary oxidation experiments are reported. The spray deposited and thermomechanically processed alloy demonstrated high-temperature oxidation behavior superior to conventionally processed (hot rolled and annealed) alloys.