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Testing Approaches for Stress Relaxation Cracking in Gamma-Prime Strengthened Ni-Base Alloys

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Cracking Phenomena in Welds IV

Abstract

Increasing the efficiency and reducing the emissions of coal-fired power plants is most economically accomplished by increasing maximum steam temperatures and pressures. Designs have progressed beyond the temperatures where typical power plant steels are useful and Ni-based superalloys are being investigated for use in the highest temperature areas. Construction with superalloys is common in the aerospace industry where solution annealing heat treatments following welding may be done in a furnace. In power plant construction, solution annealing is difficult with standard postweld heat treatment techniques and directly aging weldments without solution annealing has been studied. The practice of directly aging weldments does not allow for residual stress relaxation to occur before gamma prime precipitation. Simultaneous stress relaxation and precipitation can lead to stress relaxation cracking via a creep mechanism. There is very limited experience with superalloys regarding power plant construction and there is some evidence that stress relaxation cracking could be a problem. Stress relaxation cracking testing approaches, which are not standardized, can be categorized as self-restrained or externally-loaded. Tests typical of each approach are currently underway. Externally-loaded tests typically achieve failure in a short duration by applying uniaxial loads (or strains) and this practice allows some level of quantification. Self-restrained tests require much longer times but can be used to study triaxial stress states. Ongoing testing of a number of Ni-base alloys including 740H, 282, 617, 718 and Waspaloy is reviewed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Alloy 740 was modified to improve its weldability and microstructural stability [9]. The modified composition is designated with the letter H, however H here is an arbitrary designator that reflects a broad composition modification and does not reflect carbon level as it does with stainless steels [10].

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Jim Tanzosh and Joe Dierksheide of the Babcock and Wilcox Power Generation Group for financial support of this project. Special thanks to Brian Baker, Ronnie Gollihue, and Jack DeBarbadillo of Special Metals for providing material. This project is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Collaborative Research Center known as the Center for Integrative Materials Joining Science for Energy Applications (CIMJSEA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    David C. Tung & John C. Lippold

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  1. David C. Tung
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Correspondence to David C. Tung .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. forschung und -prüfung, BAM Bundesanstalt für Material-, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Thomas Boellinghaus

  2. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    John C. Lippold

  3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

    Carl Edward Cross

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Tung, D.C., Lippold, J.C. (2016). Testing Approaches for Stress Relaxation Cracking in Gamma-Prime Strengthened Ni-Base Alloys. In: Boellinghaus, T., Lippold, J., Cross, C. (eds) Cracking Phenomena in Welds IV. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28434-7_22

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