Precipitate phases of a ferritic/martensitic 9% Cr steel for nuclear power reactors Original Research Article

One of the reasons that ferritic/martenstic steels have been considered as candidate materials for nuclear power reactors is their superior creep resistance at elevated temperature. The creep rupture strength of 9% chromium steel could be improved by a fine dispersion of secondary precipitate phase. The precipitate phases in extra-low carbon 9% chromium steel with tempered conditions were investigated by transmission electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The steel specimens were normalized and then tempered at different temperatures. Niobium-rich MN nitrides (Nb0.6V0.3Cr0.1)N, and two kinds of vanadium nitrides, (V0.6Nb0.2Cr0.2)N and (V0.45Nb0.45Cr0.1)N having a f.c.c. crystal structure, were identified in the steel specimens tempered at 600–780 °C, and 750 or 780 °C respectively. Hexagonal chromium-rich M2N precipitate phases with different lattice parameters, a = 2.80 Å/c = 4.45 Å and a = 7.76 Å/c = 4.438 Å, were determined in the tempered steel specimens. The M2N phase showed a decrease/an increase in its chromium/vanadium content as the tempering temperature was increased. The influence of precipitates and heat treatment conditions on the high temperature properties of 9% Cr steel was discussed.