Structural changes in complex steels with 12 % Cr during welding thermal cycle

The structural changes in the heat affected zones of welded steam tubes of the 12Kh11V2MF and 18Kh12VMBFR steels, are investigated. A short-time heating of thin samples up to 1300-900 deg C with the aim of imitating the thermal welding cycle permits to determine temperatures of specific region formation in heat affeced zones of 12% Cr steels. The difference in the amounts and structure of σ-ferrite and γ-phase in these regions is established. A ''tongue'' nature of γ-phase grain growth is found in the temperature range of 1150-1100 deg C, while at 1300-1250 deg C σ-ferrite growth with the formation of saw-shape boundaries is observed. It is shown that tensile properties of imitated heat affected zone of 12Kh12VMBFP steel increase with heating temperature with the insignificant plasticity decrease. Impact strength on longitudinal samples decreases but remains higher than that determined by specifications