Evaluation of the fabricability of advanced iron aluminide-clad austenitic stainless steel tubing

摘要

Researchers at Babcock & Wilcox Alliance Research Center have investigated methods to produce bimetallic tubing consisting of iron aluminide-clad austenitic stainless steel for practical use in fossil fueled energy equipment. In the course of this work, the compatibility of iron aluminide with four candidate austenitic stainless steel substrates was first evaluated using diffusion couples. Based on these results, a combination of iron aluminide and 304 stainless steel was selected for further development. Two composite billets of this combination were then prepared and extruded in separate trails at 2200F and 2000F. Both extrusions yielded 2-inch OD clad tubes, each approximately 18 feet long. Results of the evaluation show that the tube extruded at 2000F had a sound, integrally bonded clad layer throughout its entire length. However, the tube extruded at 2200F exhibited regions of disbonding between the clad layer and the substrate. In supplement to this work, an assessment of the technical and economic merits of iron aluminide-clad austenitic stainless steel components in power generation systems was conducted by B&W Fossil Power Division. Future activities should include an investigation of lower extrusion processing temperatures to optimize the fabrication of high quality iron-aluminide clad tubing.