• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.178-188
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• 2017

To study the effects of zirconium (Zr) addition on the microstructure, hardness and the tensile properties of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic-martensitic steels, two kinds of 9Cr-ODS ferritic-martensitic steels with nominal compositions (wt.%) of $Fe-9Cr-2W-0.3Y_2O_3$ and $Fe-9Cr-2W-0.3Zr-0.3Y_2O_3$ were fabricated by the mechanical alloying (MA) of premixed powders and then consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) techniques. The experimental results showed that the average grain size decreases with Zr addition. The trigonal ${\delta}$-phase $Y_4Zr_3O_{12}$ oxides and body-centered cubic $Y_2O_3$ oxides are formed in the 9Cr-Zr-ODS steel and 9Cr non-Zr ODS steel, respectively, and the average size of $Y_4Zr_3O_{12}$ particles is much smaller than that of $Y_2O_3$. The dispersion morphology of the oxide particles in 9Cr-Zr-ODS steel is significantly improved and the number density is $1.1{\times}10^{23}/m^3$ with Zr addition. The 9Cr-Zr-ODS steel shows much higher tensile ductility, ultimate tensile strength and Vickers hardness at the same time.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.249-256
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• 2019

The 9Cr-1Mo ferritic-martensitic ODS steel is a promising structural material for the next generation nuclear power plants including fast reactors for application in reactor vessels and nuclear fuel. The ODS steel was cooled down by furnace cooling, air cooling, oil quenching and water quenching, respectively, after normalizing it at $1150^{\circ}C$ for 1 h and then tempering at $780^{\circ}C$ for 1 h. It is found that grain size, a relative portion of ferrite and martensite, martensitic lath configuration, behaviors of carbide precipitates, and hardness of the ODS steel are strongly dependent on a cooling rate. The grain size and martensitic lath width become smaller with the increase in a cooling rate. The carbides were precipitated at the grain boundaries formed between the ferrite and martensite phases and at the martensitic lath interfaces. In addition, the carbide precipitates become smaller and more widely dispersed with the increase in a cooling rate, resulting in that the faster cooling rate generated the higher hardness of the ODS steel.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the effects of precipitates and oxide dispersoids on the high-temperature mechanical properties of oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) Ni-based super alloys. Two ODS Ni-based super alloy rods with different chemical compositions were fabricated by high-energy milling and hot extrusion process at 1150 ℃ to investigate the effects of precipitates on high-temperature mechanical properties. Further, the MA6000N alloy is an improvement over the commercial MA6000 alloy, and the KS6000 alloy has the same chemical composition as the MA6000 alloy. The phase and microstructure of Ni-based super alloys were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that MC carbide precipitates and oxide dispersoids in the ODS Ni-based super alloys developed in this study may effectively improve high-temperature hardness and creep resistance.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.482-487
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• 2011

Alloy 617, Ni-22Cr-12Co-9Mo base oxide dispersion strengthened alloy was fabricated by using mechanical alloying, hot isostatic pressing and hot rolling. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed at room temperature and at $700^{\circ}C$. Compared with the conventional Alloy 617, ODS alloy showed much higher yield strength and tensile strength, but lower elongation. Fracture surfaces of the tensile tested specimens were investigated in order to find out the mechanism of fracture mode at each test temperature. Grain adjustment during tensile deformation was analyzed by electron backscattered diffraction mapping, inverse pole figures and TEM observation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.218-222
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• 2018

An oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) layer was formed on Zircaloy-4 tubes by a laser beam scanning process to increase mechanical strength. Laser beam was used to scan the yttrium oxide ($Y_2O_3$)-coated Zircaloy-4 tube to induce the penetration of $Y_2O_3$ particles into Zircaloy-4. Laser surface treatment resulted in the formation of an ODS layer as well as microstructural phase transformation at the surface of the tube. The mechanical strength of Zircaloy-4 increased with the formation of the ODS layer. The ring-tensile strength of Zircaloy-4 increased from 790 to 870 MPa at room temperature, from 500 to 575 MPa at $380^{\circ}C$, and from 385 to 470 MPa at $500^{\circ}C$. Strengthening became more effective as the test temperature increased. It was noted that brittle fracture occurred at room temperature, which was not observed at elevated temperatures. Resistance to dynamic high-temperature bursting improved. The burst temperature increased from 760 to $830^{\circ}C$ at a heating rate of $5^{\circ}C/s$ and internal pressure of 8.3 MPa. The burst opening was also smaller than those in fresh Zircaloy-4 tubes. This method is expected to enhance the safety of Zr fuel cladding tubes owing to the improvement of their mechanical properties.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

The fracture resistance and tensile properties of $Y_2O_3$ oxide dispersion strengthened steel containing 9 wt% Cr(9Cr-ODS) were measured at various temperatures up to $700^{\circ}C$. The fracture characteristics were compared with those of commercial E911 ferritic/martensitic steel. The strength of 9Cr-ODS was at least 30% higher than that of E911 steel at the test temperatures below $500^{\circ}C$. The strength difference between the two materials was almost diminished at $700^{\circ}C$. 9Cr-ODS showed cleavage fracture behavior at room temperature and unstable crack growth behaviors at $300^{\circ}C$ and $500^{\circ}C$. The J-R fracture resistance of 9Cr-ODS was much lower than that of E911 steel at all temperatures. It was deduced that the coarse $Cr_2O_3$ particles that were formed during the alloying process provided the crack initiation sites of cleavage fracture in 9Cr-ODS.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2014

15Cr-1Mo base oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel which is considered to be as a promising candidate for high- temperature components in nuclear fusion and fission systems because of its excellent high temperature strength, corrosion and radiation resistance was fabricated by using mechanical alloying, hot isostatic pressing and hot rolling. Torsion tests were performed at room temperature, leading to two different shear strain routes in the forward and reverse directions. In this study, microstructure evolution of the ODS steel during simple shearing was investigated. Fine grained microstructure and a cell structure of dislocation with low angle boundaries were characterized with shear strain in the shear deformed region by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Grain refinement with shear strain resulted in an increase in hardness. After the forward-reverse torsion, the hardness value was measured to be higher than that of the forward torsion only with an identical shear strain amount, suggesting that new dislocation cell structures inside the grain were generated, thus resulting in a larger strengthening of the steel.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.331-335
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• 2018

This study investigates the directional recrystallization behavior of Ni based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy according to the zone annealing velocity. The zone annealing temperature is set as $1390^{\circ}C$, while the zone velocities are set as 2.5, 4, 6, and 10 cm/h, respectively. The initial microstructure observation of the as-extruded sample shows equiaxed grains of random orientation, with an average grain size of 530 nm. On the other hand, the zone annealed samples show a large deviation in grain size depending on the zone velocities. In particular, grains with a size of several millimeters are observed at 2.5-cm/h zone velocity. It is also found that the preferred orientation varies with the zone annealing velocity. On the basis of these results, this study discusses the role of zone velocities in the directional recrystallization of Ni base ODS alloy.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2019

Oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) alloy has been developed to increase the mechanical strength of metallic materials; such an improvement can be realized by distributing fine oxide particles within the material matrix. In this study, the ODS layer was formed in the surface region of Zr-based alloy tubes by laser beam treatment. Two kinds of Zr-based alloys with different alloying elements and microstructures were used: KNF-M (recrystallized) and HANA-6 (partial recrystallized). To form the ODS layer, $Y_2O_3$-coated tubes were scanned by a laser beam, which induced penetration of $Y_2O_3$ particles into the substrates. The thickness of the ODS layer varied from 20 to $55{\mu}m$ depending on the laser beam conditions. A heat affected zone developed below the ODS layer; its thickness was larger in the KNF-M alloy than in the HANA-6 alloy. The ring tensile strengths of the KNF-M and HANA-6 alloy samples increased more than two times and 20-50%, respectively. This procedure was effective to increase the strength while maintaining the ductility in the case of the HANA-6 alloy samples; however, an abrupt brittle facture was observed in the KNF-M alloy samples. It is considered that the initial microstructure of the materials affects the formation of ODS and the mechanical behavior.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.122-130
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• 2009

Austenitic oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) stainless steel was fabricated using a wet mixing process without a mechanical milling in order to reduce contaminations of impurities during their fabrication process. Solution of yttrium nitrate was dried after a wet mixing with 316L stainless steel powder. Carbon and oxygen contents were effectively reduced by this wet processing. Microstructural analysis showed that coarse yttrium silicates of about 150 nm were formed in austenitic ODS steels with a silicon content of about 0.8 wt%. Wet-processed austenitic ODS steel without silicon showed higher yield strength by the presence of finer oxide of about 20 nm.