Effect of Carbon Activity on the Creep Behaviour of 21/4Cr, 1Mo Steel in Sodium

摘要

The creep endurance and creep cracking behaviour of 2 1/4Cr, 1Mo steel in sodium at 475 exp 0 C have been studied at three different sodium carbon activities. Creep endurance was found to increase with increasing carbon activity of the sodium. Tests carried out in high carbon activity sodium were discontinued before fracture. Creep crack initiation displacement at notches decreased with increasing carbon activity, presumably as a result of notch tip carburisation. The plastic zones at the tips of blunt notches in specimens exposed in high carbon activity sodium were preferentially carburised. These observations were similar to those made previously on 9Cr, 1Mo steel. One difference detected metallographically was that in a high carburising environment uniform carburisation was obtained in the 2 1/4Cr, 1Mo steel specimens whereas carburisation gradients were observed in the 9Cr, 1Mo steel. Creep crack propagation rates for given notch opening displacement rates in low and intermediate carbon activity sodium were indistinguishable. However, the strenthening that resulted from the mild carburisation of the specimen in the intermediate carbon activity sodium caused slower notch opening displacement rates and crack propagation rates than in the low carbon activity sodium, when the rates were compared at the same crack length. (Atomindex citation 10:472630)