Study of Creep damage in a 10.86 Cr Heat Resistant Steel using Synchrotron X-ray Microtomography

摘要

Synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography (SR-μCT) scans have been carried out on sample coupons extracted from fracture specimens of a 10.86% Cr heat resistant steel exposed to creep deformation at 873K over stresses of 120, 150 and 180 MPa. The 3D cavitation characteristics in terms of void volume fraction, number density and size distribution as a function of the applied stress has been determined by quantitative analysis of reconstructed tomography slice datasets. The relationship between heterogeneous spatial distributions of creep voids and variation in rupture life has been explored in terms of microstructural specific nucleation sites during the onset of creep embrittlement.