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Economic and environmental considerations have resulted in a worldwide drive to increase the cycle efficiency of fossil fired power plant. Boiler designs able to achieve significant efficiency increases already exist; the limiting factor is the performance of materials. As a result, much effort is currently being focussed on the development of enhanced materials to increase their operating temperature and/or pressure. The requirement that such materials should possess good thermal fatigue performance in addition to good creep performance dictates the selection of ferritic and martensitic steels for many components. Thus, most of the development effort in this field is currently focussed on martensitic steels that can operate beyond the current maximum plant design of 290 barg/580°C up to 335barg/630°C or even beyond. The most advanced conventional ferritic steels such as E911, P92, P122 and NF12 are 9-12% Cr martensitic steels and gain their creep strength from the tempered martensite structure and the precipitated carbides and nitrides. Their long term creep performance is ultimately limited by the rate at which these precipitates coarsen or otherwise transform over time at elevated temperature. This research work presents the development of an alternative alloy which aims to increase the high temperature long term creep performance by replacing the relatively low stability carbides and nitrides present in conventional ferritic steels with a thermodynamically more stable dispersion of titanium nitride particles. To overcome the solubility limitation on precipitating a significant level of fine titanium nitride and to remove the dimensional constraints of gas phase nitriding, the innovative technique being developed here is one of solid state nitriding using a nitride donor. The microstructure and properties of the titanium nitride strengthened steels have been assessed at each stage of the alloy development using a range of optical and electron microscope examination techniques and hardness, tensile and creep mechanical assessment techniques. The results have shown that the processing route plays an important role in the development of the titanium nitride particles and these in turn play an important role in the development of the grain structure. The initial evaluation of the creep rupture properties found them to be very poor, below that of the base material. This was due to two factors; relatively coarse titanium nitride particles and very fine grain size (due to the titanium nitride particles pinning) which resulted in extensive grain boundary sliding. This research, therefore, investigates the development of the entire processing route, including the development of powder metallurgy and spray forming procedures with the aim of achieving a homogeneous dispersion of fine titanium nitride particles to resist dislocation creep and the development of a coarse interlocking grain structure to resist grain boundary sliding. The achievements in the creep properties are presented in comparison with conventional ferritic creep resistant steels and advanced ferritic steels such as PM2000. The properties achieved are discussed, not only in relation to the beneficial aspects such as creep strength and the effect this has on boiler cycle efficiency, but also in relation to deleterious effects that are a consequence of reduced creep ductility. Finally, possible mechanisms to improve the properties as well as methods of reducing the production costs are assessed with a view to achieving the overall objective of developing a commercially viable material.

Dans le cadre du développement des réacteurs nucléaires de 4ème génération et plus particulièrement du réacteur à neutrons rapides refroidi au sodium (SFR), le CO2 supercritique, dans un cycle de Brayton, a été identifié comme fluide potentiel en remplacement de la vapeur d'eau dans le cycle de conversion de l'énergie. Les aciers ferrito-martensitiques contenant 9 à 12 % en poids de Cr sont de bons candidats pour la réalisation d'échangeurs thermiques car ils présentent de bonnes propriétés mécaniques jusqu'à une température de 600°C, une forte conductivité thermique, un faible coefficient d'expansion thermique ainsi qu'un coût plus faible que celui des aciers austénitiques. Cependant, il a été montré que ces aciers forment une couche d’oxyde à croissance rapide et carburent fortement dans les conditions du circuit de conversion d'énergie (550°C, 250 bar).Cette étude a pour objectif d’étudier l’influence de différents paramètres (les impuretés présentes dans le CO2, les vitesses de rampe thermique ainsi que l’état de surface) sur le mécanisme d’oxydation d’un acier Fe-12Cr dans le CO2 à 550°C. Il est montré qu’en fonction de la valeur de ces paramètres, il est possible de former une couche d’oxyde fine protectrice en surface sans carburation. Un modèle permettant de rendre compte de l’ensemble des résultats expérimentaux est proposé. / In the framework of the development of Sodium Fast Reactors in France, supercritical carbon dioxide integrated in the Brayton cycle is proposed as new cycle energy conversion system to replace current steam generators. Ferritic-Martensitic steels with 9-12 wt% Cr are good candidates for heat exchanger application because they have good mechanical properties up to a temperature of 600°C, a high thermal conductivity, a low coefficient of thermal expansion and a lower cost than that of austenitic steels. However, it has been found that these steels present a high parabolic oxide growth rate and a strong carburization in the temperature and pressure conditions of the SC-CO2 cycle (550°C, 250 bar).This study aims to investigate the influence of different parameters (impurities present in CO2, thermal ramp rate and surface state) on the oxidation mechanism of a Fe-12 Cr steel in CO2 at 550°C. It has been shown that depending on these parameters, a thin protective oxide scale without any strong carburization can be obtained. A model is proposed to explain the experimental results.

O aço ferrítico-martensítico ODS Eurofer com 9%pCr (ODS - do inglês oxide dispersion strengthened), objeto de estudo dessa dissertação, é um potencial candidato para fins estruturais em reatores de fusão nuclear. Este material foi produzido via metalurgia do pó e consolidado por prensagem isostática. Em seguida sofreu laminação cruzada a quente e revenimento em 750°C por 2h. Esta foi a condição como recebida desse aço, o qual foi cedido pelo KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie - Alemanha). Este aço possui 0,3%p de partículas de ítria (Y2O3) com diâmetro entre 10 e 30 nm. Uma das finalidades dessa dispersão de partículas de óxido é impedir a livre movimentação de contornos de grão no material, de modo a garantir a estabilidade microestrutural do mesmo sob recozimento. O aço ODS Eurofer como recebido foi laminado a frio com reduções de 20, 40, 60 e 80% da espessura e, posteriormente, foi recozido em diversas temperaturas entre 300 e 1350°C por 1h. Como o enfoque desse trabalho é sobre o aço ODS Eurofer recozido em altas temperaturas, para as temperaturas de 1250, 1300 e 1350°C foram feitos recozimentos adicionais (para o material com 80% de redução) variando-se o tempo de recozimento de 1 a 8 h. Para todos os recozimentos, com exceção dos realizados em 1350°C, o resfriamento das amostras se deu ao ar. Para a temperatura de 1350°C isso não foi possível e o resfriamento das amostras se deu no interior do forno. As amostras foram caracterizadas utilizando-se de medidas de dureza, medidas magnéticas e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Amostras representativas também foram analisadas utilizando-se de difração de elétrons retroespalhados (EBSD) e espectroscopia por energia dispersiva (EDS). Para recozimentos em temperaturas acima de 800°C seguidos de resfriamento ao ar o material sofreu uma transformação martensítica. Na faixa de temperatura entre 800°C e 1300°C verificou-se um ligeiro decréscimo na dureza do material. Para as amostras com 80% de redução e recozidas em 1250 e 1300°C por diversos tempos até 8 h, seguido de resfriamento ao ar, não ocorreu uma variação significativa tanto nos valores de dureza e de campo coercivo das amostras com o tempo de recozimento. Estes valores se mantiveram em um patamar bem superior ao verificado para as amostras sem recozimento. Para as amostras recozidas em 1350°C, devido às características do resfriamento a microestrutura resultou em grãos ferríticos, aproximadamente equiaxiais e com tamanho de grão médio da ordem de 15 ?m. Observou-se uma notável queda tanto no valor de dureza como de campo coercivo dessas amostras. A observação mais importante nesse caso foi a observação de partículas da ordem de 100 nm ricas em ítrio no interior dos grãos, uma evidência de que ocorre o engrossamento das partículas de ítria nessa temperatura. Em virtude disso, a capacidade dessa dispersão de óxidos em impedir a livre movimentação de contornos de grãos no material fica prejudicada em 1350°C. / The object of this study is Eurofer 9% Cr Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steel. This ferritic/martensitic steel is a potential candidate for structural applications in nuclear fusion reactors. It is produced through powder metallurgy and consolidated by hot isostatic pressing. The material undergoes hot cross lamination and is tempered at 760 °C. This was the condition of the steel as received, which was provided by KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Germany). This steel contains 0.3 wt% yttria particles (Y2O3) with a diameter in the range 10-30nm. The main purpose of this oxide particle dispersion is to prevent the free movement of the grain boundaries in the material, so as to ensure stability of the microstructure during annealing. The material as received was cold rolled to reduce thickness by 20, 40, 60 and 80%. It was annealed at different temperatures from 300 to 1350 °C for 1 h. The focus of this study is the effects of high temperature annealing on the microstructure of ODS Eurofer. For this purpose, additional heat treatments were carried out on the steel that had been rolled to reduce thickness by 80% at temperatures of 1250, 1300 and 1350 °C. Annealing time varied between 15 min and 8 h. For all annealing conditions, except those carried out at 1350 °C, the samples were air cooled. For the temperature of 1350 °C, this was not possible. These samples were cooled in the oven. The samples were characterized using hardness testing, magnetic testing, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Representative samples were also analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). For annealing at temperatures above 800 °C, the material underwent a martensitic transformation after air cooling. Between 800 and 1300 °C, there was a slight decrease in the hardness of the material. For samples with 80% reduction annealed at 1250 and 1300 °C followed by air cooling, annealing time up to 8h didn\'t lead to a significant variation in either the hardness or the coercive field. Both hardness and coercive field of these samples were at a level well above the samples without annealing. For samples annealed at 1350 °C, due to the cooling characteristics of the samples, the microstructure took on a ferritic matrix with equiaxed grains with an average grain size of 15 um. There was a remarkable decrease in hardness and coercive field values of these samples. The most important result in this case was the observation of yttria-rich particles of the order of 100nm inside the grains. This is an evidence of the coarsening of the yttria particles at this temperature. As a result, the capacity of oxide dispersion to prevent the free movement of grain boundaries in the material is impaired at 1350°C.

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O aço ferrítico-martensítico ODS Eurofer com 9%pCr (ODS - do inglês oxide dispersion strengthened), objeto de estudo dessa dissertação, é um potencial candidato para fins estruturais em reatores de fusão nuclear. Este material foi produzido via metalurgia do pó e consolidado por prensagem isostática. Em seguida sofreu laminação cruzada a quente e revenimento em 750°C por 2h. Esta foi a condição como recebida desse aço, o qual foi cedido pelo KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie - Alemanha). Este aço possui 0,3%p de partículas de ítria (Y2O3) com diâmetro entre 10 e 30 nm. Uma das finalidades dessa dispersão de partículas de óxido é impedir a livre movimentação de contornos de grão no material, de modo a garantir a estabilidade microestrutural do mesmo sob recozimento. O aço ODS Eurofer como recebido foi laminado a frio com reduções de 20, 40, 60 e 80% da espessura e, posteriormente, foi recozido em diversas temperaturas entre 300 e 1350°C por 1h. Como o enfoque desse trabalho é sobre o aço ODS Eurofer recozido em altas temperaturas, para as temperaturas de 1250, 1300 e 1350°C foram feitos recozimentos adicionais (para o material com 80% de redução) variando-se o tempo de recozimento de 1 a 8 h. Para todos os recozimentos, com exceção dos realizados em 1350°C, o resfriamento das amostras se deu ao ar. Para a temperatura de 1350°C isso não foi possível e o resfriamento das amostras se deu no interior do forno. As amostras foram caracterizadas utilizando-se de medidas de dureza, medidas magnéticas e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Amostras representativas também foram analisadas utilizando-se de difração de elétrons retroespalhados (EBSD) e espectroscopia por energia dispersiva (EDS). Para recozimentos em temperaturas acima de 800°C seguidos de resfriamento ao ar o material sofreu uma transformação martensítica. Na faixa de temperatura entre 800°C e 1300°C verificou-se um ligeiro decréscimo na dureza do material. Para as amostras com 80% de redução e recozidas em 1250 e 1300°C por diversos tempos até 8 h, seguido de resfriamento ao ar, não ocorreu uma variação significativa tanto nos valores de dureza e de campo coercivo das amostras com o tempo de recozimento. Estes valores se mantiveram em um patamar bem superior ao verificado para as amostras sem recozimento. Para as amostras recozidas em 1350°C, devido às características do resfriamento a microestrutura resultou em grãos ferríticos, aproximadamente equiaxiais e com tamanho de grão médio da ordem de 15 ?m. Observou-se uma notável queda tanto no valor de dureza como de campo coercivo dessas amostras. A observação mais importante nesse caso foi a observação de partículas da ordem de 100 nm ricas em ítrio no interior dos grãos, uma evidência de que ocorre o engrossamento das partículas de ítria nessa temperatura. Em virtude disso, a capacidade dessa dispersão de óxidos em impedir a livre movimentação de contornos de grãos no material fica prejudicada em 1350°C. / The object of this study is Eurofer 9% Cr Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steel. This ferritic/martensitic steel is a potential candidate for structural applications in nuclear fusion reactors. It is produced through powder metallurgy and consolidated by hot isostatic pressing. The material undergoes hot cross lamination and is tempered at 760 °C. This was the condition of the steel as received, which was provided by KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Germany). This steel contains 0.3 wt% yttria particles (Y2O3) with a diameter in the range 10-30nm. The main purpose of this oxide particle dispersion is to prevent the free movement of the grain boundaries in the material, so as to ensure stability of the microstructure during annealing. The material as received was cold rolled to reduce thickness by 20, 40, 60 and 80%. It was annealed at different temperatures from 300 to 1350 °C for 1 h. The focus of this study is the effects of high temperature annealing on the microstructure of ODS Eurofer. For this purpose, additional heat treatments were carried out on the steel that had been rolled to reduce thickness by 80% at temperatures of 1250, 1300 and 1350 °C. Annealing time varied between 15 min and 8 h. For all annealing conditions, except those carried out at 1350 °C, the samples were air cooled. For the temperature of 1350 °C, this was not possible. These samples were cooled in the oven. The samples were characterized using hardness testing, magnetic testing, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Representative samples were also analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). For annealing at temperatures above 800 °C, the material underwent a martensitic transformation after air cooling. Between 800 and 1300 °C, there was a slight decrease in the hardness of the material. For samples with 80% reduction annealed at 1250 and 1300 °C followed by air cooling, annealing time up to 8h didn\'t lead to a significant variation in either the hardness or the coercive field. Both hardness and coercive field of these samples were at a level well above the samples without annealing. For samples annealed at 1350 °C, due to the cooling characteristics of the samples, the microstructure took on a ferritic matrix with equiaxed grains with an average grain size of 15 um. There was a remarkable decrease in hardness and coercive field values of these samples. The most important result in this case was the observation of yttria-rich particles of the order of 100nm inside the grains. This is an evidence of the coarsening of the yttria particles at this temperature. As a result, the capacity of oxide dispersion to prevent the free movement of grain boundaries in the material is impaired at 1350°C.

Dans le cadre de ces travaux, il a clairement été établi que l’hydrogène piégé ou diffusible pouvait avoir une forte influence sur les propriétés mécaniques des matériaux. Cependant, cet effet varie de façon importante en fonction de leur microstructure, leur composition chimique et leur traitement thermique. En effet, les aciers martensitiques trempés/revenus dédiés à des tubes pour des milieux sous-service présentent, de par leur structure, différents types de pièges tels que les dislocations, les joints de grains, les précipités, les inclusions, les lacunes et d’autres interfaces qui jouent un rôle important dans les mécanismes endommageants. Ces aciers de haute résistance mécanique, lorsqu’ils sont soumis à des contraintes mécaniques et à un environnement agressif (qui dépend de la pression en H2S et du pH de la solution) peuvent rompre à cause du phénomène de Sulphide Stress Cracking (SSC). Ce dernier est une forme de fragilisation par l’hydrogène (FPH) qui inclut un amorçage de fissure suivi d’une étape de propagation conduisant à la rupture, dont la contribution de l’hydrogène reste encore mal comprise. En parallèle de l’impact de la microstructure de l’acier, les champs de contrainte et déformation subis par le matériau modifient les effets induits par l’hydrogène. C’est pourquoi un montage de perméation sous contrainte a été utilisé afin de pouvoir réaliser des essais mécaniques jusqu’à rupture sous flux d’hydrogène et les comparer au comportement du matériau lorsque celui-ci est sollicité à l’air ou dans un environnement H2S. Ainsi, l’impact sur le comportement mécanique du flux d’hydrogène mais également de son piégeage peut être étudié. Dans ce cadre, des éprouvettes plates et axisymétriques, lisses et entaillées ont été employées. Les informations expérimentales obtenues dans ce travail ont servi à alimenter un modèle numérique qui a permis de caractériser localement l’état mécanique et les concentrations d’hydrogène piégé et diffusible dans le matériau. Ceci a rendu possible la définition d’un critère local de rupture. / The findings of this work established that the diffusible and trapped hydrogen could have a strong influence on the mechanical properties of materials. However, this effect varies significantly with the materials’ microstructure, chemical composition, and heat treatment. Due to their structure, quenched and tempered martensitic steels (developed for tubes suitable for sour service environments) have different types of traps such as dislocations, grain boundaries, precipitates, inclusions, vacancies and other interfaces that play an important role in the damage mechanisms. These high strength steels may break due to Sulphide Stress Cracking (SSC) if subjected to mechanical stress and an aggressive environment (which depends on the H2S partial pressure and pH solution). This phenomenon is a form of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) that includes a crack initiation followed by a propagation step leading to failure. However the hydrogen contribution is still insufficiently understood. In addition to the impact of the microstructure on the steel, the stress and the deformation fields in the material also modify the effects induced by hydrogen. To investigate this event, electrochemical permeation tests under stress were used to perform mechanical tests under hydrogen flux until failure is reached. The results were compared to those mechanically loaded in air or in a H2S environment. This enabled the examination of the impact of the hydrogen flux and trapping on the mechanical behavior of martensitic steel. In this framework, flat and axisymmetric, smooth and notched specimens were employed. Experimental data obtained in this work were used to provide a numerical model that enables the locally characterization of the mechanical condition and the concentrations of trapped and diffusible hydrogen in the material. These outcomes enabled us to determine a local failure criterion.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18266号 / 工博第3858号 / 新制||工||1592(附属図書館) / 31124 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科機械理工学専攻 / (主査)教授 福永 俊晴, 教授 白井 泰治, 准教授 徐 蛟 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

Grade 91 (Gr.91) is a common structural material used in boiler applications and is favored due to its high temperature creep strength and oxidation resistance. Under cyclic stresses, the material will experience creep deformation eventually causing the propagation of type IV cracks within its heat-affected-zone (HAZ) which can be a major problem under short-term and long-term applications. In this study, we aim to improve this premature failure by performing a computational thermodynamic study through the Calculation of Phase Diagram (CALPHAD) approach. Under this approach, we have provided a baseline study as well as simulations based on additional alloying elements such as manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and titanium (Ti). Our simulation results have concluded that high concentrations of Mn and Ni had destabilized M23C6 for short-term creep failure, while Ti had increased the beneficial MX phase, and low concentrations of nitrogen (N) had successfully destabilized Z-phase formation for long-term creep failure.