Effects of microstructure on cleavage fracture in pressure vessel steel

Effect of carbide distribution on the fracture toughness in the transition temperature region of an SA 508 steel

Kinetics of non-equilibrium grain-boundary segregation

Bainitic microstructures can be produced in a variety of steels either as a result of a deliberate attempt to achieve a particular combination of strength and toughness or in response to welding during fabrication. In addition, such microstructures can offer advantages in terms of their resistance to creep or fatigue deformation or susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement. The relationships among chemical composition, processing, microstructure, and the mechanical properties will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be placed on recent advances in alloy design. These developments rely on an improved understanding of the mechanisms of bainitic transformation, and the relevance of recent research in this area to the design of new alloy systems will be discussed. Bainitic structures which arise during welding can have a significant and sometimes detrimental effect on the fracture toughness of the welded joint. The fracture toughness of bainitic microstructures in so-called “local brittle zones” in the heat-affected zone and in weld metals and the importance of controlling the bainitic morphology will be considered and the transformation mechanisms discussed. In summary, the aim of this review will be to indicate the prospects for improved microstructural control of structure-property relationships in steels containing a significant proportion of bainite.

Structure-property relationships in bainitic steels

Cleavage fracture and irradiation embrittlement of fusion reactor alloys: mechanisms, multiscale models, toughness measurements and implications to structural integrity assessment

P. Bowen

Papers

Effects of microstructure on cleavage fracture in pressure vessel steel

Micromechanical modelling of fracture toughness

Effects of segregation on brittle fracture and fatigue crack growth in coarse-grained, martensitic A533B pressure vessel steel