Compositional effects on the high temperature ductility of 1 Cr-1.25 Mo-0.25 V Steel

Abstract

This paper describes the results of slow strain rate (ε = 4.4 × 10^-5 s^-1) tensile tests performed at temperatures between 25 and 700 °C on a high purity CrMoV steel containing various dopants. The materials all had a bainitic microstructure, a hardness of R^C28, and a grain size of ASTM 0. Some samples were step cooled prior to tensile testing. Four different compositions were tested: undoped (HP), Mn + P doped (MnP), P doped (P), and Sn doped (Sn) materials. All four materials failed in a low ductility cleavage mode at low temperatures and by a low ductility grain boundary cavitation mode at high temperatures. At intermediate temperatures, around 500 °C, the MnP material showed the highest ductility, the HP and Sn materials showed the lowest, and the P material was intermediate. The beneficial effects of both Mn and P on the creep ductility are rationalized in terms of their control of the sulfur concentration on prior austenite boundaries. In addition, it is suggested that P on the grain boundaries can reduce the cavitation rate by reducing the grain boundary self diffusion rate.