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A phenomenological model for estimating the effects of load ratio R and hydrogen pressure PH2 on the hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth rate (HA-FCGR) behavior in the transient and steady-state regimes of pressure vessel steels is described. The "transient regime" is identified with crack growth within a severely embrittled zone of intense plasticity at the crack tip. The "steady-state" behavior is associated with the crack growing into a region of comparatively lower hydrogen concentration located further away from the crack tip. The model treats the effects of R and PH2 as being functionally separable. In the transient regime, the effects of the hydrogen pressure on the HA-FCGR behavior were negligible but were significant in the steady-state regime. The hydrogen concentration in the steady-state region is modeled as being dependent on the kinetics of lattice diffusion, which is sensitive to pressure. Experimental HA-FCGR data from the literature were used to validate the model. The new model was shown to be valid over a wide range of conditions that ranged between -1≤R≤0.8 and 0.02≤PH2≤103 MPa for pressure vessel steels.

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Keeping recruitment of green and cost-effective solutions for environmental challenges in view, the current work was designed to solve the problems related to metal corrosion in the aqueous phases of crude oil in chemical industries. Green materials can play an important role in protecting metals from this corrosion. Hence, the green anti-corrosion material based upon gossypol derivate is suggested to solve the above problems. The electrochemical characteristics were appraised by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical noise methods. The thermodynamics were studied by gravimetric analyses. The surface morphology was scrutinized using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Density functional theory and molecular dynamic simulations were exploited in theoretical analyses. The gossypol derivate is green, non-toxic, more efficient, non-volatile, and chemically stable anti-corrosion material for gas and oil industries. Carbon steel corrosion simulated in aqueous phases of crude oil (NaCl solutions (1.0 M) saturated with H2S and CO2) was maximally prohibited by forming a protective layer of binaphthalene. Its protection degree is 96.71% (at 100.0 mg/L/0.107 mM). The gossypol ring is a suitable core for preparing the next modification materials to protect against corrosion. The rigid adsorption progressed mainly via hydroxyl functional moieties. Compared to the inhibition behavior of the neutral form of gossypol, the optimized protonated form causes a greater inhibition.

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FeMnAl steels are currently generating a lot of interest with potential applications for structural parts in armored vehicles due to their lower density and outstanding mechanical properties. Despite the extensive mechanical performance and heat treatment exploration of this alloy class, further weldability investigation is required for future large-scale deployment. In the present study, the liquation cracking of four heats of cast FeMnAl alloys was investigated by the spot-Varestraint technique. The study focuses primarily on the effect of the major elements of the FeMnAl system: C, Mn and Al. Optical and electron microscopy were employed to investigate the microstructural features, and CALPHAD was employed to aid the discussion regarding the alloy's composition differences and their effect on the liquation cracking susceptibility. The study was able to identify that compositions with the higher Mn, C, and lower Al presented the highest liquation cracking susceptibility. Conversely, composition presenting lower Mn, C, and Al showed the most resistant behavior. Furthermore, lower Al content promoted a fully-γ microstructure at low temperatures, which encouraged the appearance of longer cracks as a γ-matrix is more susceptible to HAZ cracking than a fully ferritic (α) or duplex (α + γ) microstructure.

The present manuscript indicates that FeMnAl steels are susceptible to liquation cracking for alloys with higher Mn, C, and lower Al.

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Thermomechanical processing (TMP) of ferritic-martensitic (FM) steels, such as HT9 (Fe-12Cr-1MoWV) steels, involves normalizing, quenching, and tempering to create a microstructure of fine ferritic/martensitic laths with carbide precipitates. HT9 steels are used in fast reactor core components due to their high-temperature strength and resistance to irradiation damage. However, traditional TMP methods for these steels often result in performance limitations under irradiation, including embrittlement at low temperatures (<~430 °C), insufficient strength and toughness at higher temperatures (>500 °C), and void swelling after high-dose irradiation (>200 dpa). This research aimed to enhance both fracture toughness and strength at high temperatures by creating a quenched and tempered martensitic structure with ultrafine laths and precipitates through rapid quenching and unconventional tempering. Mechanical testing revealed significant variations in strength and fracture toughness depending on the processing route, particularly the tempering conditions. Tailored TMP approaches, combining rapid quenching with limited tempering, elevated strength to levels comparable to nano-oxide strengthened ferritic alloys while preserving fracture toughness. For optimal properties in high-Cr steels for future reactor applications, this study recommends a modified tempering treatment, i.e., post-quench annealing at 500 °C or 600 °C for 1 h, possibly followed by a brief tempering at a slightly higher temperature.

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This paper examines the relationship between the magnetization behavior and crystal lattice orientations of Fe-Si alloys intended for magnetic applications. A novel approach is introduced to assess anisotropy of the magnetic losses and first magnetization curves. This method links the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy of single crystal structures to the textures of polycrystalline materials through a vectorial space description of the crystal unit cell, incorporating vectors for external applied field and saturation magnetization. This study provides a preliminary understanding of how texture influences magnetic loss rates and the first magnetization curves. Experimental results from Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) and Single-Sheet Tests (SSTs), combined with energy considerations and mathematical modeling, reveal the following key findings: (i) a higher density of cubic texture components, whether aligned or rotated relative to the rolling direction, decreases magnetic anisotropy, suggesting that optimizing cubic texture can enhance material performance; (ii) at high magnetic fields, there is no straightforward correlation between energy losses and polarization; and (iii) magnetization rates significantly impact magnetization loss rates, highlighting the importance of considering these rates in optimizing Fe-Si sheet manufacturing processes. These findings offer valuable insights for improving the manufacturing and performance of Fe-Si sheets, emphasizing the need for further exploration of texture effects on magnetic behavior.

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High-manganese steel (high-Mn) is valuable for its excellent mechanical properties in cryogenic environments, making it essential to understand its deformation behavior at extremely low temperatures. The deformation behavior of high-Mn steels at extremely low temperatures depends on the stacking fault energy (SFE) that can lead to the formation of deformation twins or transform to ε-martensite or α'-martensite as the temperature decreases. In this study, submerged arc welding (SAW) was applied to fabricate thick pipes for cryogenic industry applications, but it may cause problems such as an uneven distribution of manganese (Mn) and a large weldment. To address these issues, post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) is performed to achieve a homogeneous microstructure, enhance mechanical properties, and reduce residual stress. It was found that the difference in Mn content between the dendrite and interdendritic regions was reduced after PWHT, and the SFE was calculated. At cryogenic temperatures, the SFE decreased below 20 mJ/m2, indicating the martensitic transformation region. Furthermore, an examination of the deformation behavior of welded high-Mn steels was conducted. This study revealed that the tensile deformed, as-welded specimens exhibited ε and α'-martensite transformations at cryogenic temperatures. However, the heat-treated specimens did not undergo α'-martensite transformations. Moreover, regardless of whether the specimens were subjected to Charpy impact deformation before or after heat treatment, ε and α'-martensite transformations did not occur.

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The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) environment will include magnetic, thermal, mechanical and environmental loads far greater than those seen in the Joint European Torus campaigns of the past decade or currently contemplated for ITER. Greater still are the neutron peak dose rates of 10-6 displacements per atom, per second, which in-vessel materials in STEP are anticipated to be exposed to. Reduced activation and high-fluence resilience therefore dominate the materials strategy to support the STEP Programme. The latter covers the full life cycle from downselected compositions and new microstructural developments to irradiation-informed modelling and end-of-life strategies. This article discusses how the materials downselection is oriented in plant power trade-off space, outlines the development of an advanced ferritic-martensitic structural steel, describes the 'Design by Fundamentals' mesoscale modelling approach and reports some of the waste mitigation routes intended to make STEP operations as sustainable as possible.This article is part of the theme issue 'Delivering Fusion Energy - The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP)'.

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This study investigated the role of interfacial deformability in bond integrity and strength, particularly in the production of robust joints between harder austenitic stainless steels (SS) during ultrasonic welding. The specimen without the interlayer experienced limited strength enhancement owing to internal cracking from continuous sliding at interfacial temperatures below 0.6 times the melting point (Tm), which is attributed to the limited deformability of the austenitic SS. In contrast, introducing Fe and Ni interlayers between the substrates resulted in a notable increase in the interfacial strength, surpassing 2500 N in the peak load within a reduced welding duration. The correlation between the interfacial strength and the peak temperature suggests that a substantial decrease in hardness below 0.4 Tm is sufficient for extensive bond formation. Moreover, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) led to grain refinement in the Fe interlayer owing to shorter weld durations, whereas grain growth was observed in the Ni interlayer due to higher peak temperatures. Both the Fe and Ni interlayers significantly improved the bonding integrity by accommodating plasticity through the above phenomena without severe damage to the substrates, leading to increase of interfacial strength by 24% (2050 N to 2500 N) and reduction of weld duration by 40% (1.5 s in Fe interlayer). In addition, the fracture position after the lap shear test shifted from the edge of the weld area to the SS substrate.

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In a deep-learning-based algorithm, generative adversarial networks can generate images similar to an input. Using this algorithm, an artificial three-dimensional (3D) microstructure can be reproduced from two-dimensional images. Although the generated 3D microstructure has a similar appearance, its reproducibility should be examined for practical applications. This study used an automated serial sectioning technique to compare the 3D microstructures of two dual-phase steels generated from three orthogonal surface images with their corresponding observed 3D microstructures. The mechanical behaviors were examined using the finite element analysis method for the representative volume element, in which finite element models of microstructures were directly constructed from the 3D voxel data using a voxel coarsening approach. The macroscopic material responses of the generated microstructures captured the anisotropy caused by the microscopic morphology. However, these responses did not quantitatively align with those of the observed microstructures owing to inaccuracies in reproducing the volume fraction of the ferrite/martensite phase. Additionally, the generation algorithm struggled to replicate the microscopic morphology, particularly in cases with a low volume fraction of the martensite phase where the martensite connectivity was not discernible from the input images. The results demonstrate the limitations of the generation algorithm and the necessity for 3D observations.

This study provided the comparison between experimentally observed and computationally generated 3D microstructures of dual-phase steels in the macro- and microscopic material behaviors with finite element analysis method for periodic microstructure.

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In this study, we quantitatively investigate the impact of 1.4 wt.% chromium and 1.4 wt.% molybdenum additions on pearlitic microstructure characteristics in 1 wt.% carbon steels. The study was carried out using a combination of experimental methods and phase field simulations. We utilized MatCalc v5.51 and JMatPro v12 to predict transformation behaviors, and electron microscopy for microstructural examination, focusing on pearlite morphology under varying thermal conditions. Phase field simulations were carried out using MICRESS v7.2 software and, informed by thermodynamic data from MatCalc v5.51 and the literature, were conducted to replicate pearlite formation, demonstrating a good agreement with the experimental observations. In this work, we introduced a semi-automatic reliable microstructural analysis method, quantifying features like lamella dimensions and spacing through image processing by Fiji ImageJ v1.54f. The introduction of Cr resulted in longer, thinner, and more homogeneously distributed cementite lamellae, while Mo led to shorter, thicker lamellae. Phase field simulations accurately predicted these trends and showed that alloying with Cr or Mo increases the density and circularity of the lamellae. Our results demonstrate that Cr stabilizes pearlite formation, promoting a uniform microstructure, whereas Mo affects the morphology without enhancing homogeneity. The phase field model, validated by experimental data, provides insights into the morphological changes induced by these alloying elements, supporting the optimization of steel processing conditions.

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The application of organic coatings is the most cost-effective and common method for metallic equipment toward corrosion, whose anti-corrosion property needs to be improved and evaluated in a short time. To rapidly and rationally assess the anti-corrosion property of organic coatings in the ocean splash zone, a new accelerated test was proposed. In the study, the corrosion protection property of the coating samples was measured by an improved AC-DC-AC test in a simulated seawater of 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, a simulated ocean splash zone test and a new accelerated test combining the above two tests. The results showed that the corrosion rate of the coating samples was high in the improved AC-DC-AC test, which lost its anti-corrosion property after 24 cycles equal to 96 h. The main rapid failure reason was that the time of the water and corrosive media arriving at the carbon steel substrate under the alternating cathodic and anodic polarization with symmetrical positive and negative electric charges was shortened. The entire impedance of the coating samples was improved by about 1.6 times more than that in the initial early time in the simulated ocean splash zone test, which was caused by the damage effect from the salt spraying, drying, humidifying, salt immersion, high temperature and UVA irradiation being weaker than the enhancement effect from the post-curing process by the UVA irradiation. In the new accelerated test, the samples lost their corrosion resistance after 12 cycles equal to 288 h with the fastest failure rate. On account of the coupling process of the salt spraying, drying, humidifying, salt immersion, high temperature combined with the cathodic and anodic polarization and the UVA irradiation, the penetration and transmission rate of water and corrosive media in the coating were further accelerated, the corrosion rate on the carbon steel substrate was reinforced even larger and the destruction of the top polymer molecules was more serious. The new accelerated test showed the strongest damage-acceleration effect than that in the other two tests.

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Molten salts have been used as heat transfer fluids since the middle of the 20th century. More recently, molten chloride salts have been studied for use in concentrated solar power plants or molten salt reactors. However, none of the materials studied to date has been able to withstand this highly corrosive environment without controlling the salt's redox potential. The alumina-forming alloy was a promising option, as it has not yet been widely studied. To investigate this possibility, two iron-based alumina-forming alloys were corroded in NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic at 600 °C for 500 h after being pre-oxidised to grow a protective layer of α-alumina on each alloy. A salt purification protocol based on salt electrolysis was implemented to ensure comparable and reproducible results. During immersion, alumina was transformed into MgAl2O4, as shown by FIB-SEM observation. Inter and intragranular corrosion were observed, with the formation of MgAl2O4 in the corroded zones. The nature of the oxides was explained by the predominance diagram. Intragranular corrosion was 2 µm deep, and intergranular corrosion 10 µm deep. Alumina formed at the bottom of the intergranular corrosion zones. The depth of intergranular corrosion is consistent with O diffusion control at the grain boundary.

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In this study, the corrosion behavior of N80 and TP125V steels was delved firstly into produced water from shale gas fields containing CO2-O2. Moreover, the localized corrosion of these steels was investigated to elucidate the effects of aerobic and anoxic on steel corrosion. The results indicated that the corrosion rates of N80 and TP125V steels under aerobic conditions were lower compared to those in the presence of CO2-O2. Specifically, at temperature of 100 °C and with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 4 mg/L in the CO2-O2 environment, the N80 and TP125V steels exhibited the highest corrosion rate, with values of 0.13 mm/y and 0.16 mm/y, respectively, as determined by specific weight loss measurements. Conversely, these rates decreased to 0.022 mm/y and 0.049 mm/y under aerobic conditions. Furthermore, severe localized corrosion of N80 and TP125V steels with a DO concentration of 4 mg/L was also observed in the CO2-O2 environment. Finally, it was evident that pitting corrosion is the predominant type of corrosion affecting N80 and TP125V steels in the produced water from shale gas fields.

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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the corrosion resistance in natural seawater (Navodari area) of two types of low-alloy carbon steels BVDH36 and LRAH36 by electrochemical methods. The electrochemical methods used were the evolution of the free potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), polarization resistance (Rp) and corrosion rate (Vcorr), potentiodynamic polarization (PD), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The studies were completed by ex situ characterization analyzes of the studied surfaces before and after corrosion such as: optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results of the study show us that the polarization resistance of the low-alloy carbon steel BVDH36 is higher compared to the polarization resistance of the low-alloy carbon steel LRAH36. It is also observed that with the increase in the immersion time of the samples in natural seawater, the polarization resistance of the BVDH36 alloy increases over time and finally decreases, and for the carbon steel LRAH36 the polarization resistance increases.

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The fast development of the waste incineration industry requires deeper insights into heating surface corrosion behavior at higher operating parameters with complex corrosion sources. This research investigates the corrosion behaviors of three types of plates, namely SA210-C, TP310, and 12CrMoV, when subjected to simulated flue gas and fly ash deposition simultaneously at temperatures ranging from 500℃ to 620℃. The results indicate that the weight loss due to coupling corrosion was 2.5 to 84.5 times higher than that of gas-phase corrosion under the same operating conditions. Among the three stainless-steels, TP310 demonstrates superior corrosion resistance. It is worth noting that, under the gas-solid coupling corrosion conditions, we observed a distinct two-layer structure of corrosion products. Despite the fly ash simulants detaching over time, the two-layer structure remained unchanged. Based on the theory of eutectic molten salt formation, we propose that alkali metal chlorides only initiate the formation of the molten layer in the initial stage of corrosion. Furthermore, we offer additional suggestions for the mechanism of sustaining the molten layer in the absence of alkali metal chlorides.

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To investigate the interconnected effects of manufacturing processes on microstructure evolution during hot-rolling, a through process model is required. A novel numerical implementation of the mean-field approach was introduced to efficiently describe the grain growth of larger systems and extended durations. In this approach, each grain is embedded within an average medium and interacts with the average medium, thus avoiding the complexities of individual grain interactions. The proposed upsampling approach dynamically adjusts the simulation grain ensemble, ensuring efficiency and accuracy regardless of the initial number of grains present. This adaptation prevents undersampling artifacts during grain growth. The accuracy of the model is verified against analytical solutions and experimental data, demonstrating high agreement. Moreover, the effects of different initial conditions are successfully investigated, demonstrating the model's versatility. Due to its simplicity and efficiency, the model can be seamlessly integrated into other microstructure evolution models.

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The significant impact of Nb on ferrite transformation, both in terms of solute drag effect (SDE) and interphase precipitation, was investigated quantitatively. Ferrite transformation kinetics were characterized using thermal expansion experiments and theoretical calculations. The microstructures were characterized using high-temperature confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Under a higher driving force, interphase precipitations were observed in the sample with a higher Nb content. A three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction method was used to convert the two-dimensional (2D) image of interphase precipitation into a three-dimensional model for a more typical view. The SDE and interphase precipitation had opposite effects on the kinetics of ferrite transformation. A lower Nb content showed a strong contribution to the SDE, which delayed ferrite transformation. A higher concentration of Nb was expected to enhance the SDE, but the inhibition effect was eliminated by the interphase precipitation of NbC during interfacial migration. Both the experimental results and theoretical calculations confirmed this phenomenon.

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Duplex stainless steels are widely used in many fields due to their excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. However, it is a challenge to achieve duplex microstructure and excellent properties through additive manufacturing. In this work, a 0.09% N 25Cr-type duplex stainless steel was prepared by additive manufacturing (AM) and heat treatment, and its corrosion resistance was investigated. The results show that, compared with S32750 duplex stainless steel prepared by a conventional process, the combination value of film resistance and charge transfer resistance of AM duplex stainless steel was increased by 3.2-5.5 times and the pitting potential was increased by more than 100 mV. The disappearance of residual thermal stress and the reasonable distribution of Cr and N elements in the two phases are the reasons for the improvement of the corrosion resistance of AM duplex stainless steel after heat treatment. In addition, the extremely high purity of AM duplex stainless steel with no visible inclusions resulted in a higher corrosion resistance exhibited at lower pitting-resistance-equivalent number values.

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Additive manufacturing of soft magnetic materials is a promising technology for creating topologically optimized electrical machines. High-performance electrical machines can be made from high-silicon-content FeSi alloys. Fe-6.5wt%Si material has exceptional magnetic properties; however, manufacturing this steel with the classical cold rolling methodology is not possible due to the brittleness of this material. Laser powder bed fusion technology (L-PBF) offers a solution to this problem. Finding the optimal printing parameters is a challenging task. Nevertheless, it is crucial to resolve the brittleness of the created materials so they can be used in commercial applications. The temperature dependence of magnetic hysteresis properties of Fe-6.5wt%Si materials is presented in this paper. The magnetic hysteresis properties were examined from 20 °C to 120 °C. The hysteresis measurements were made by a precision current generator-based hysteresis measurement tool, which uses fast Fourier transformation-based filtering techniques to increase the accuracy of the measurements. The details of the applied scalar hysteresis sensor and the measurement uncertainties were discussed first in the paper; then, three characteristic points of the static hysteresis curve of the ten L-PBF-manufactured identical toroidal cores were investigated and compared at different temperatures. These measurements show that, despite the volumetric ratio of the porosities being below 0.5%, the mean crack length in the samples is not significant for the examined samples. These small defects can cause a significant 5% decrement in some characteristic values of the examined hysteresis curve.

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Conventional heat treatment is not capable of converting a sufficient amount of retained austenite into martensite in high-carbon or high-carbon and high-alloyed iron alloys. Cryogenic treatment induces the following alterations in the microstructures: (i) a considerable reduction in the retained austenite amount, (ii) formation of refined martensite coupled with an increased number of lattice defects, such as dislocations and twins, (iii) changes in the precipitation kinetics of nano-sized transient carbides during tempering, and (iv) an increase in the number of small globular carbides. These microstructural alterations are reflected in mechanical property improvements and better dimensional stability. A common consequence of cryogenic treatment is a significant increase in the wear resistance of steels. The current review deals with all of the mentioned microstructural changes as well as the variations in strength, toughness, wear performance, and corrosion resistance for a variety of iron alloys, such as carburising steels, hot work tool steels, bearing and eutectoid steels, and high-carbon and high-alloyed ledeburitic cold work tool steels.