Kinetics of Sigma Phase Precipitation in Niobium-Stabilized Austenitic Stainless Steel and Effect on the Mechanical Properties

Stabilized austenitic stainless steels are widely used in nuclear and oil industries. The 316 Nb steel grade presented in this study holds a small amount of delta ferrite in the austenitic matrix which tends to transform into sigma phase during prolonged exposures in the temperature range of 600-1000°C. Sigma phase is promoted by ferritic elements such as chromium, molybdenum, niobium and silicon. Time-Temperature-Transformation (TTT) diagram of the δ-ferrite evolution is established thanks to DSC experiments and quantitative metallographic analysis. It is observed that the highest sigma phase formation rate occurs between 800 and 900°C, and that the transformation of ferrite begins after a few minutes of exposure in this temperature range. The microstructure of transformed δ-ferrite is mostly dominated by the eutectoid mixture σ + γ2. Tensile tests were performed for three different cooling conditions: a significant embrittlement attributed to the δ-ferrite transformation is measured by a ductility loss for the lowest cooling rate.