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At least 991 records · Page 55

Room temperature mechanical properties of electron beam welded zircaloy-4 sheet

Room temperature mechanical properties of electron beam welded and plain Zircaloy-4 sheet (1.6mm thick) have been measured and compared. Various welding parameters were utilized to join sheet material. Electron beam welded specimens and as-received sheet specimens show comparable mechanical properties. Zr-4 sheet displays anisotropy; tensile properties measured for transverse display higher elastic modulus, yield strength, reduction of area and slightly lower ductility than for the longitudinal (rolling direction). Higher welding power increases the alloy’s hardness, elastic modulus and yield strength, with a corresponding decrease in tensile strength and ductility. The hardness measured at weld is comparable to the parent metal hardness. Hardness at heat-affected-zone is slightly higher. Electron microscopic examination shows distinct microstructure morphology and grain size at the weld zone, HAZ and parent metal. A correlation between welding parameters, mechanical properties and microstructural features was established for electron beam welded Zircaloy-4 sheet material.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Process–structure–property relationships in bimodal machined microstructures using robust structure descriptors

Machining is a severe plastic deformation process that subjects materials to high rates of deformation and elevated temperatures. Dynamic recrystallization during severe plastic deformation drives grain refinement into the sub-micron range but the ductility and thermal stability of these structures is poor. In contrast, bimodal microstructures consisting of both fine and coarse grains have been shown to exhibit attractive strength and ductility properties at these temperatures. In this paper, we study the process–structure–property relationships for pure copper subject to a machining process where the cutting speeds are varied. Further, we investigate the role of thermal effects by varying the post-deformation cooling rates. Microstructures generated under these deformation conditions are quantified using angularly resolved chord length statistics. The derived metrics are found to be robust descriptors of the studied microstructures as they automatically capture complex features such as unimodal and bimodal distributions of grain structure, grain constituent length scales, and morphological anisotropy induced by shear deformation. The uniaxial equivalent yield strength of the generated structures are estimated using spherical nanoindentation and inverse modeling techniques. Lastly, we present a methodology for identifying the constrained property-process inverse mapping for machining using a Bayesian framework and the established forward process–structure–property mapping.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dislocation dynamics in heterogeneous nanostructured materials

Crystalline materials can be strengthened by introducing dissimilar phases that impede dislocation glide. At the same time, the changes in microstructure and chemistry usually make the materials less ductile. One way to circumvent the strength–ductility dilemma is to take advantage of heterogeneous nanophases which simultaneously serve as dislocation barriers and sources. Owing to their superior mechanical properties, heterogeneous nanostructured materials (HNMs) have attracted a lot of attention worldwide. Nevertheless, it has been difficult to characterize dislocation dynamics in HNMs using classical continuum models, mainly due to the challenges in describing the elastic and plastic heterogeneity among the phases. Here, in this work, we advance a phase-field dislocation dynamics (PFDD) model to treat multi-phase materials, consisting of phases differing in composition, structural order, and size in the same system. We then apply the advanced PFDD model to exploring two important but divergent materials design problems in HNMs: dislocation/obstacle interactions and dislocation/interface interactions. Results show that the interactions between a dislocation and distribution of obstacles varying in structure and composition cannot be understood by simply interpolating from their individual interactions with a dislocation. It is also found that materials containing interfaces with nanoscale thicknesses and compositional gradients have a much higher dislocation bypass stress than those with sharp interfaces, providing an explanation for the simultaneous high strength and toughness of thick interface-containing nanolaminates as observed in recent experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Post-Irradiation Fracture Toughness of Unalloyed Molybdenum, ODS molybdenum, and TZM molybdenum following irradiation at 244C to 507C

Commercially available unalloyed molybdenum (Low Carbon Arc Cast (LCAC)), Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) molybdenum, and TZM molybdenum were neutron irradiated at temperatures of nominally 244 C, 407 C, and 509 C to neutron fluences between 1.0 to 4.6x1025 n/m2 (E>0.1 MeV). Post-irradiation fracture toughness testing was performed. All alloys exhibited a Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperature that was defined to occur at 30 4 MPa-m1/2. The highest post-irradiated fracture toughness values (26-107 MPa-m1/2) and lowest DBTT (100-150 C) was observed for ODS molybdenum in the L-T orientation. The finer grain size for ODS molybdenum results in fine laminates that improve the ductile laminate toughening. The results for ODS molybdenum are anisotropic with lower post-irradiated toughness values (20-30 MPa-m1/2) and higher DBTT (450-600 C) in the T-L orientation. The results for T-L ODS molybdenum are consistent or slightly better than those for LCAC molybdenum (21-71 MPa-m1/2 and 450-800 C DBTT). The fracture toughness values measured for LCAC and T-L ODS molybdenum at temperatures below the DBTT were determined to be 8-18 MPa-m1/2. Lower non-irradiated fracture toughness values were measured for TZM molybdenum that are attributed to the large carbide precipitates serving as preferential fracture initiation sites. The role of microstructure and grain size on post-irradiated fracture toughness was evaluated by comparing the results for LCAC molybdenum and ODS molybdenum.

Cockeram, Brian V↗

Methodology for Mechanical Property Testing of Fuel Cladding Using a Expanded Plug Wedge Test

An expanded plug method was developed earlier for determining the tensile properties of irradiated fuel cladding. This method tests fuel rod cladding ductility by utilizing an expandable plug to radially stretch a small ring of irradiated cladding material. The circumferential or hoop strain is determined from the measured diametrical expansion of the ring. A developed procedure is used to convert the load circumferential strain data from the ring tests into material pseudo-stress-strain curves, from which material properties of the cladding can be extracted. However, several deficiencies existed in this expanded-plug test that can impact the accuracy of test results, such as that the large axial compressive stress resulted from the expansion plug test can potentially induce the shear failure mode of the tested specimen. Moreover, highly nonuniform stress and strain distribution in the deformed clad gage section and significant compressive stresses, induced by bending deformation due to clad bulging effect, will further result in highly nonconservative estimates of the mechanical properties for both strength and ductility of the tested clad. To overcome the aforementioned deficiencies associated with the current expansion plug test, systematic studies have been conducted. By optimizing the specific geometry designs, selecting the appropriate material for the expansion plug, and adding new components into the testing system, a modified expansion plug testing protocol has been developed. A general procedure was also developed to determine the hoop stress in the tested ring specimen. A scaling factor, -factor, was used to convert the ring load Fring into hoop stress , and is written as _ = F_ring/tl , where t is the clad thickness and l is the clad length. The generated stress-strain curve agrees well with the associated tensile test data in both elastic and plastic deformation regions.

expansion plug test↗

Characterization and comparative analysis of the tensile properties of five tempered martensitic steels and an oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic alloy irradiated at ≈295 °C to ≈6.5 dpa

Tensile test results at 25 and 300 °C on five 9-12Cr tempered martensitic steels and one 14Cr oxide dispersion strengthened alloy, that were side-by side irradiated to 6.5 dpa at 295 °C in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), are reported. The engineering stress–strain curves are analyzed to provide true stress–strain constitutive σ(ε) laws for all of these alloys. In the irradiated condition, the σ(ε) fall into categories of: strain softening, nearly perfectly plastic and strain hardening. Increases in yield stress (Δσ y ) and reductions in uniform strain ductility (e u ) are observed, where as the latter can be understood in terms of the alloy's σ(ε) behavior. Increases in the average σ(ε) in the range of 0–10% strain are smaller than the corresponding Δσ y , and vary more from alloy to alloy. The data are analyzed to establish relations between Δσ y and coupled changes in the ultimate stresses as well as the effects of both test temperature and the unirradiated yield stress (σ yu ). The latter shows that higher σ yu correlates with lower Δσ y . In five out of six cases the effects of irradiation are generally consistent with previous observations on these alloys. However, the particular heat of the 12Cr HT-9 tempered martensitic steel in this study has a much higher e u than observed for earlier heats. The reasons for this improved behavior are not understood and may be microstructural in origin. However, it is noted that the new heat of HT-9, which was procured under modern quality assurance standards, has lower interstitial nitrogen than previous heats. As a result, notably lower interstitial solute contents correlate with improved ductility and homogenous deformation in broadly similar steels.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Neutron irradiation and high temperature effects on amorphous Fe-based nano-coatings on steel – A macroscopic assessment

Here, this study revealed that loss of ductility in an amorphous Fe-alloy coating on a steel substrate composite structure was essentially prevented from occurring, following radiation with modest neutron doses of ~2 x 10 18 n/cm 2 . At the higher neutron dose of ~2 x 10 19 , macroscopic stress-strain analysis showed that the amorphous Fe-alloy nanostructured coating, while still amorphous, experienced radiation-induced embrittlement, no longer offering protection against ductility loss in the coating-substrate composite structure. Neutron irradiation in a corrosive environment revealed exemplary oxidation/corrosion resistance of the amorphous Fe-alloy coating, which is attributed to the formation of the Fe 2 B phase in the coating. To establish the impact of elevated temperatures on the amorphous-to-crystalline transition in the amorphous Fe-alloy, electron microscopy was carried out which confirmed the radiation-induced suppression of crystallization in the amorphous Fe-alloy nanostructured coating.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mechanical property degradation and microstructural evolution of cast austenitic stainless steels under short-term thermal aging

Mechanical testing and microstructural characterization were performed on short-term thermally aged cast austenitic stainless steels (CASS) to understand the severity and mechanisms of thermal-aging degradation experienced during extended operation of light water reactor (LWR) coolant systems. Four CASS materials – CF3, CF3M, CF8, and CF8M – were thermally aged for 1500 hours at 290 °C, 330 °C, 360 °C, and 400 °C. All four alloys experienced insignificant change in strength and ductility properties but a significant reduction in absorbed impact energy. The primary microstructural and compositional changes during thermal aging were spinodal decomposition of the δ-ferrite into α/ α`, precipitation of G-phase in the δ-ferrite, segregation of solute to the austenite/ ferrite interphase boundary, and growth of M23C6 carbides on the austenite/ferrite interphase boundary. These changes were shown to be highly dependent on chemical composition, particularly the concentration of C and Mo, and aging temperature. A comprehensive model is being developed to correlate the microstructural evolution with mechanical behavior and simulation for predictive evaluations of LWR coolant system components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mechanical properties of single-crystal tungsten irradiated in a mixed spectrum fission reactor

To collect data for fusion applications and understand the basic properties of tungsten, single-crystal tungsten was neutron irradiated in the mixed-spectrum High Flux Isotope Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory at temperatures of 90–830 °C to fast fluences of 0.01–9 × 10 25 n/m 2 (E > 0.1 MeV). For tensile tests at room temperature of the irradiated material in both orientations, <110> and <100> tensile orientation, initially there was strengthening that peaked at 0.02 dpa and was followed by progressive modulus of toughness reduction, approaching zero at higher doses. For all irradiation temperatures, in elevated temperature tensile tests there was a distinct transition from ductile-to-brittle behavior between 0.1 and 0.4 dpa, accompanied by an increase in indentation hardness. The ductile-to-brittle transition with increasing dose was particularly critical because it presented as a total loss in elongation and modulus of toughness. The critical transition dose was well below the dose (~1 dpa) where irradiation-induced precipitates are visible in the TEM. The extent of Vickers microhardness increase was significant at higher doses and did not depend on irradiation temperature or crystal orientation, reaching 12.9 GPa after 2.8 dpa. Furthermore, the significant mechanical property degradation above 0.1 dpa is believed to have been caused by the accumulation of irradiation-induced clusters and eventually precipitates of the transmutation elements Re and Os.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructure and fracture toughness characterization of three 9Cr ODS EUROFER steels with different thermo-mechanical treatments

Ferritic martensitic ODS steels are one of the candidate structural materials for future Gen-IV nuclear fission and fusion reactors. Here, the dependence of fracture toughness on microstructure was investigated by comparing three 9Cr ODS EUROFER steels manufactured through different thermo-mechanical processing routes. Quasi-static fracture toughness testing was performed with sub-sized C(T) specimens and microstructural characterization was carried out using scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that at lower test temperatures (-100 – 22 °C), the fracture toughness was primarily controlled by crack initiation at sub-micron particles and by production of secondary cracks during fracture. At higher temperatures (above 100 °C), fracture toughness was predominantly controlled by the matrix ductility and the grain boundary strength with a relatively ductile coarse-grained alloy demonstrating higher fracture toughness compared to high-strength fine-grained alloys. These results and discussion show that variations in thermomechanical treatments can produce significant differences in microstructure and fracture toughness behavior of ferritic martensitic ODS steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of helium on irradiation response of reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steels: Using nickel isotopes to simulate fusion neutron response

Understanding the effects of helium on microstructures and mechanical properties of reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steels is important to use of these steels in fusion reactor structures. The 9Cr-2WVTa steels were doped with 58Ni and 60Ni isotopes at 2 weight percent to control the rate of transmutation helium generation. The samples were irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor to ~24 displacements per atom at nominal temperatures of 300, 400, and 500°C, producing 228 and 7 atomic parts-per-million helium in the 58 Ni- and 60 Ni-doped samples, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a variety of precipitates and the radiation-induced dislocation loops and cavities (voids or helium bubbles). Tensile tests of the irradiated samples at the irradiation temperatures showed radiation-induced hardening at 300°C and radiation-induced softening at 400°C. Analysis indicates that the hardening primarily originated from the loops and cavities. The 58 Ni-doped samples had greater strengthening contributions from loops and cavities, leading to higher hardening with lower ductility than the 60 Ni-doped samples. The greater helium production of 58 Ni did not show pronounced reductions in ductility of the samples.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructures and mechanical properties of a modified 9Cr ferritic-martensitic steel in the as-built condition after additive manufacturing

A newly developed nano-structured high-Mn 9Cr ferritic-martensitic (FM) steel designed for additive manufacturing (Additive-manufactured Nanostructured Alloy, ANA) was fabricated via the direct energy deposition method. The as-printed ANA2 showed tensile properties (strength and elongation) and Charpy impact toughness (upper-shelf energy and ductile-brittle transition temperature) comparable to oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) Eurofer and PM2000. Compared with wrought P91, the as-built ANA2 showed significantly higher yield strength but inferior Charpy impact toughness and ductility. Microstructural characterization revealed uniformly distributed sub-micron pores, an extremely high dislocation density, and a high density of ultrafine nano-structured precipitates in the matrix. The microstructures indicated the dislocations as the dominant strengthening element and the ultrafine precipitates as the primary contribution to estimated irradiation sink density. This work demonstrates the ability to exploit the unique consolidation properties of additive manufacturing to fabricate steels which marry the benefits of both ODS alloys and conventionally processed FM steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The effects of Ti content and quenching on phase transformations, microstructures, and mechanical properties in uranium-titanium alloys

In this work, the effect of Ti content on phase transformations, microstructures, and mechanical properties of U-Ti alloys are described for alloys containing 0.3 wt.% to 2.0 wt.%Ti. Rapid cooling is required to overcome diffusional decomposition of γ-phase and facilitate diffusionless transformation to supersaturated variants of α-phase. Critical cooling rate increases with increasing Ti content, opposite to the trend observed in U-Mo and U-Nb alloys. This difference occurs because the martensite transformation temperatures in these relatively dilute U-Ti alloys are above the knee of the C-curve for diffusional decomposition, unlike those in the more concentrated U-Mo and U-Nb alloys. In these U-Ti alloys critical cooling rate depends on the amount of undercooling required to reach M s , which increases with increasing Ti content, and the time for diffusional decomposition to occur just above M s , which decreases with increasing Ti content. The net result is that higher cooling rates are required as Ti content increases. Full quenching results in diffusionless transformation of γ-phase to supersaturated variants of α-phase. Very dilute alloys transform via a γ → β → α m sequence of massive transformations. Martensitic γ → α' a transformation begins at ~0.4%Ti, and 100% α' a microstructures are obtained from ~0.65% to ~1.4% Ti. A transition to banded α'b martensite occurs at ~1.5%Ti. Evidence suggests that the α' a to α' b transition may occur when the cubic γ-phase first transforms to tetragonal γ°, which in turn transforms to orthorhombic α' b via the sequence γ → γ° → α' b . Fully quenched alloys exhibit moderate strengths and ductilities, and their supersaturation with Ti makes them amenable to subsequent age hardening. Subcritical quenching typically results in two-phase microstructures with lower ductilities and near-zero Ti-supersaturation, eliminating the possibility of subsequent age hardening.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The effect of Ti content on age hardening and mechanical properties of uranium-titanium alloys

Here, the effect of Ti content on age hardening and the resulting mechanical properties are described for -quenched U-Ti alloys containing 0.3 wt.% to 2.0 wt.%Ti. Age hardening occurs between ~250°C and ~450°C. Overaging occurs at higher temperatures by cellular decomposition. Age hardening kinetics suggest that different mechanisms occur depending on Ti content and initial microstructure. Strengthening in 'a acicular martensites begins by the formation of Ti clusters which evolve into thin U 2 Ti disc shaped precipitates and later mature into continuous U 2 Ti rods beginning at peak hardness. The mechanism of hardening in 'b banded martensite is more elusive, as significant hardening occurs where atomic mobility is lower than that required for precipitate formation, similar to that reported for age hardening in ''b banded martensite in U-6%Nb. The activation energy for aging varies with Ti content and microstructure. In fully martensitic alloys containing 0.75% to 2.0%Ti it is in the vicinity of ~44 kcal/mole (184 kJ/mole). But it is lower in alloys containing less than 0.6%Ti where quenched microstructures are less than fully martensitic. Tensile ductility is high prior to aging, decreases with age hardening, is effectively zero at peak hardness, and remains low in overaged conditions. Attractive combinations of strength and ductility are best obtained in alloys containing 0.6% to 1.0%Ti which have been partially aged to fractional hardening levels no greater than ~0.6. This corresponds to the very early stages of aging, associated with clustering and the earliest stages of U 2 Ti disc formation. Alloys containing 0.45%Ti or less are not as responsive to age hardening. Alloys containing 1.5% and 2.0%Ti can be aged to higher strengths, but extreme quench rate sensitivity prevents them from being effectively heat treated in realistic section thicknesses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The impact of chromium coatings on Zircaloy cladding deformation behavior under reactivity-initiated accident-like mechanical loading conditions

A reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) occurs when a control rod ejection or control blade drop causes an increase in the fission rate. The injection of energy results in an increase in fuel temperature which in turn causes rapid thermal expansion of the fuel pellet. This thermal expansion may result in pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI) in which the fuel imparts a mechanical strain to the cladding. PCMI may cause the cladding to fail, and thus, the mechanical response of cladding due to PCMI must be investigated when characterizing new cladding materials. Chromium-coated Zircaloy-4 is a near-term accident-tolerant fuel cladding that exhibits improved high-temperature oxidation resistance. Modified burst testing was utilized to experimentally simulate the effects of PCMI on both uncoated and chromium-coated Zircaloy cladding samples at hot zero power conditions. Samples were coated using either cold spraying or physical vapor deposition to understand the differences in behavior that the coating application method may cause. Digital image correlation was used to analyze images of the deforming specimens to extract the in-situ strain behavior of the cladding. The uncoated specimens burst at hoop strains ranging from 8.8 % to 17.2 %. The cold-spray chromium-coated Zircaloy specimens burst at hoop strains of 7.0 % to 11.0 %. The physical vapor deposition coated tubes burst at hoop strains of 9.1 % to 11.5 %. These results indicate that the chromium coating causes a loss in the ductility of the cladding. Furthermore, the higher burst hoop strains of the physical vapor deposition-coated samples relative to the cold-spray samples indicate that the cold-spraying technique causes more of a loss in ductility than physical vapor deposition. All samples burst at higher hoop strains than those expected to occur in an RIA for fresh cladding.

Accident-tolerant fuel↗

Monotonic testing of single shear-plane CLT-to-CLT joint with hardwood dowels

Reducing embodied carbon emissions in buildings and striving for carbon neutrality through sustainable design has become a primary goal in the construction industry. The industry is expanding its use of wood-engineered products, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) to achieve those sustainability goals. Furthermore, replacing steel fasteners with lower embodied carbon alternatives is gaining increased attention in timber engineering. This paper aims to quantify the mechanical behavior of single shear-plane CLT-to-CLT joints using hardwood dowels. The study includes 154 single shear-plane experimental tests with four different CLT species, two hardwood dowel species, and two dowel diameters. Further, the test specimens were subjected to cyclic and monotonic loading until failure, and mechanical properties such as yielding and ultimate strength, serviceability and yielding stiffness, and ductility were quantified. The hardwood dowel CLT-to-CLT joints demonstrated high strength with up to 10.3 kN (2.3 kips) capacity per dowel and lateral stiffness of up to 5.2 kN/mm (30.8 k/in) per dowel. This strength and stiffness are roughly equivalent to or exceed values for mass timber wood screws, making hardwood dowels a good alternative. In addition, the observed mean ductility of joints ranged from 2.4 to 4.5. Finally, analytical equations for the joints' yielding strength, lateral serviceability stiffness, and yielding stiffness were derived with non-linear regression analysis and validated using the experimental test results.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Facile synthesis and electrochemical characterization of Sn{sub 4}Ni{sub 3}/C nanocomposites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Sn{sub 4}Ni{sub 3}/C nanocomposites were synthesized by a pyrolyzing-annealing two-step strategy. The phase structure, carbon content and morphology of the nanocomposites were investigated. The results reveal that the crystallinity, carbon structure and purity were enhanced obviously after heat-treatment. Electrochemical performance was evaluated by cyclic voltammograms (CV), galvanostatic discharge/charge and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). The annealed Sn{sub 4}Ni{sub 3}/C powders deliver an initial charge capacity of 525.2 mA h g{sup -1}, 400 mA h g{sup -1} over 10 cycles at 36 mA g{sup -1}, >300 mA h g{sup -1} after 40 cycles at 72 mA g{sup -1} and maintain 240 mA h g{sup -1} for 40 cycles at 150 mA g{sup -1}. TEM investigation of the cycled electrodes shows the discharge/charge process neither destroyed the structure of nanocomposites nor changed the crystallinity of the materials. So the high capacity and stable cyclability are ascribed to the synergetic effect of ductile nickel and conductive carbon constituent and the influence of heat-treatment. - Graphical abstract: TEM image of the annealed Sn{sub 4}Ni{sub 3}/C nanocomposites reveals that the crystallized Sn{sub 4}Ni{sub 3} nanoparticles are dispersed in the carbon layer. The synergetic effect of ductile Ni and carbon layer is beneficial to buffer the volume change of Sn during discharge/charge process, thus improving the electrochemical performance when used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sn{sub 4}Ni{sub 3} nanoparticles well dispersed in carbon matrix were successfully fabricated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stable cycling property was achieved due to the synergetic effect of Ni and carbon. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The cycling process did not change the structure and crystallinity of the materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Characterization of microstructures and mechanical properties of Inconel 617/310 stainless steel dissimilar welds

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 617/310 austenitic stainless steel dissimilar welds were investigated in this work. Three types of filler materials, Inconel 617, Inconel 82 and 310 austenitic stainless steels were used to obtain dissimilar joint using the gas tungsten arc welding process. Microstructural observations showed that there was no evidence of any possible cracking in the weldments achieved by the nickel-base filler materials. The welds produced by 617 and 310 filler materials displayed the highest and the lowest ultimate tensile strength and total elongation, respectively. The impact test results indicated that all specimens exhibited ductile fracture. Among the fillers, Inconel 617 exhibited superlative fracture toughness (205 J). The mechanical properties of the Inconel 617 filler material were much better than those of other fillers. - Research Highlights: {yields} A fine dendritic structure was seen for the Inconel 617 weld metal. {yields} A number of cracks were initiated when the 310 SS filler metal was used. {yields} All welded samples showed ductile fracture. {yields} The Inconel 617 filler material presents the optimum mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗