Fatigue Crack Growth Rate in Low ΔK Range According to the Microstructure and Temperature in P122 Alloy Weldment

Abstract

There exists strong environmental and economic pressure to increase the thermal efficiency of fossil fuel power stations and this has led to a steady increase in operating temperature and pressure resulting in the world wide construction plans for ultra super-critical power plants. Consequently, in order to improve the thermal efficiency of power plant, there has been a strong drive to develop more advanced heat resistant steels with excellent creep, high temperature fatigue and thermal fatigue resistant properties as well as superior oxidation and corrosion resistant properties. In this study, the test material was P122 alloy which was developed for ultra super-critical power plant. To measure the fatigue crack growth rate in low #K range, fatigue tests were performed on the P122 alloy welds by #K decreasing method at three different microstructure (Base metal, HAZ, Weld metal) regions. Microstructure observation and micro-hardness tests performed for all three regions to find the relationship among the crack growth rate, microstructure and hardness. Fatigue tests were performed with compact tension specimens at 600°C, 650°C and 700°C at the loading frequency of 20Hz.