Kinetics of isochronal austenization in modified high Cr ferritic heat-resistant steel

Employment of high Cr ferritic steels as a main structural material is considered as a way to achieve economical competitiveness of main steam pipe and nuclear reactors in power plants. Differential dilatometry and microstructure observation were employed to investigate the isochronal austenitic transformation of the modified high Cr ferritic steel. The kinetics of the isochronal austenitic transformation were described by a phase-transformation model involving site saturation (pre-existing nuclei), diffusion-controlled growth, and incorporating an impingement correction. The experimental results and kinetic analysis indicate that an increase of the heating rate promotes the diffusion-controlled austenitic transformation. The dissolving degree of precipitates during the austenization process affects the activation energy for diffusion and the undissolved precipitates lead to an increase of the onset temperature of the subsequent martensite transformation upon cooling.