MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PRIMARY COOLANT PIPE STEEL

Abstract
Atom probe field-ion microscopy, analytical electron microscopy, and optical microscopy have been used to investigate the changes that occur in the microstructure of cast CF 8 primary coolant pipe stainless steel long term thermal aging. The cast duplex microstructure consisted of austenite with 15% δ-ferrite. Investigation of the aged material revealed that the ferrite spinodally decomposed into a fine scaled network of α and α'. A fine G-phase precipitate was also observed in the ferrite. The observed degradation in mechanical properties is probably a consequence of the spinodal decomposition in the ferrite.