Title: Characterisation of as-cast model steels with parametric variation of Ni, Mn, Si and Cr content

Authors: Jarmila Degmova; Luigi Debarberis; Beatriz Acosta; Radek Novotny; Carlo Brancucci

Addresses: Department of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technologi, Ilkovicova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia. ' Nuclear Design Safety Unit, Institute for Energy, Joint Research Centre, P.O. Box 2, NL-1755 ZG, Petten, The Netherlands. ' Nuclear Design Safety Unit, Institute for Energy, Joint Research Centre, P.O. Box 2, NL-1755 ZG, Petten, The Netherlands. ' Nuclear Design Safety Unit, Institute for Energy, Joint Research Centre, P.O. Box 2, NL-1755 ZG, Petten, The Netherlands. ' Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol,Queen's Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK

Abstract: In order to understand the role and influence of Cr, Ni, Si and Mn alloying elements on the mechanical properties of steels a large spectrum of ferritic steels with parametric variation of alloying elements as well as impurities content were prepared in the frame of the SAFELIFE Action of JRC-IE and the AMES Network. The composition of the 12 prepared model steels were inspired by typical base composition of WWER-1000 and PWR materials. The testing results showed the important role of Cr and Ni concentration in model steels composition. The ranges of ductile-to-brittle transition temperature differ between high and low Cr containing steels. An increase of Cr content in model steels leads to an increase of root mean square values of the Barkhausen noise measurements, independently on Mn and Si content. On the contrary, amount of Ni influences mostly the results of Barkhausen noise and relative Seebeck coefficient measurements.

Keywords: model steels; alloying elements; ductile-to-brittle transition temperature; magnetic Barkhausen noise; Seebeck and Thomson effect; aged materials; Vickers hardness; scanning electron microscopy; ferritic steel; chromium; nickel; silicon; manganese.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2011.043571

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2011 Vol.6 No.5, pp.347 - 358

Published online: 09 Nov 2011 *

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