The role of actively diffusing impurities of sulfur and oxygen in ductility-dip cracking susceptibility of Ni-Cr-Fe welds

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the temperature conditions of sulphur and phosphorus moving to sample surface for alloys with different initial sulphur content. Design/methodology/approach: Investigation of samples from In 690, Kh20N16AG6, In52MSS alloys in Auger spectrometer JAMP-9500F for determination of the probability of saturation of the free surface (as grain boundary model) with sulphur from the solid solution. Results obtained without removing the samples from the chamber, stage-by-stage heating up to 800°C with determination of element content every 100°C. Findings: It is shown that sulphur has the tendency of diffusing to the interface from the middle of the grain body and forming segregations in the form of a monolayer even at its slight (0.00015 wt.%) content in the alloy. Research limitations/implications: Presence of actively diffusing impurities (C, O, H, S, P), dissolved in the metal, in the case of a gradient of temperatures and stresses, leads to redistribution of these impurities between the solid solution and surface of the sample, or solid solution and grain boundaries (interface). According to the obtained data, change of elemental composition proceeds within 0.5-1 nm from the grain boundary or from the sample surface and leads to formation of monolayers. Practical implications: To prevent the formation of cracks it is necessary not only to reduce the content of impurity elements in the alloy, but to prevent moving them to the boundary of grains and creating mono layers. Originality/value: For the selected alloys, the formation of monolayers is the most intensive at temperatures of 700-800° that coincides with DTR in the temperature range of 0.6-0.8 Ts. Such monolayers can lead to ductility dip cracks formation.