Subtask 12A1: Fabrication of production-scale heat of V-4Cr-4Ti

Abstract

On the basis of excellent properties that were determined for a laboratory-scale heat, V-4Cr-4Ti has been identified previously as the most promising vanadium-based candidate alloy for application in fusion reactor structural components. The objective of this work is to produce a large-scale (500-kg) ingot of the alloy and fabricate various plates and sheets from the ingot, thereby demonstrating a reliable method of fabricating an industrial-scale heat of V-4Cr-4Ti that exhibits excellent properties. A 500-kg heat of V-4Cr-4Ti, an alloy identified previously as the most promising vanadium-based candidate alloy for application in fusion reactor structural components, has been produced. The ingot was produced by multiple vacuum-arc melting using screened high-quality raw materials of vanadium, chrome, and titanium. Several long bars {approx}64 mm in thickness and {approx}200 mm in width were extruded from the ingot, and plates and sheets of various thicknesses ranging from 1.0 to 29.2 mm were fabricated successfully from the extruded bars. The chemical composition of the ingot and the secondary fabrication procedures, specified on the basis of the experience and knowledge gained from fabrication, testing, and microstructural characterization of a laboratory-scale heat, were found to be satisfactory. Charpy-impact tests showed that mechanical properties of the production-scale heat are as good as those of the laboratory-scale heat. This demonstrates a method of reliable fabrication of industrial-scale heats of V-4Cr-4Ti that exhibit excellent properties. 14 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.