The relationship between sensitisation and small punch test behaviour in a high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel at cryogenic temperatures

Austenitic stainless components used in nuclear fusion reactors must be capable of maintaining reasonable mechanical properties to thermal ageing caused by welding and in-service. Recently, high-nitrogen (High-N) austenitic stainless steels (SS) are receiving increased attention because of their strength advantages, but they have been found to be susceptible to dichromium nitride (Cr₂N) precipitation during thermal exposure at 823-1073 K. The susceptibility to sensitisation at thermal ageing temperature for high-N austenitic SS is examined using the single-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) test. High-N SS were found to be susceptible to sensitisation caused by grain boundary precipitation of Cr₂N, with the degree of sensitisation increasing systematically with ageing time and temperature. In particular, it was found that the precipitates, which effected sensitisation, were changed from carbides (M₂₃C₆) to nitrides (Cr₂N) with increasing ageing time and temperature. The deterioration of mechanical properties associated with thermal ageing in high-N SS was investigated by a small punch (SP) test using miniature specimens at cryogenic temperatures. Results indicated that the degradation of mechanical properties in this alloy was caused by a decrease of cohesive strength resulting from carbides (Cr₂₃C₆) and nitrides (Cr₂N) precipitated in grain boundaries.