Characterization of a boron alloyed 9Cr3W3CoVNbBN steel and further improvement of its high-temperature mechanical properties by thermomechanical treatments

In the framework of the development of Generation IV nuclear reactors and fusion nuclear reactors, materials with an improved high temperature (≅650 °C) mechanical strength are required for specific components. The 9–12% Cr martensitic steels are candidate for these applications. Previous works showed that the application of a thermomechanical treatment, including warm-rolling in metastable austenitic phase, to the commercial Grade 91 martensitic steel, allowed refining its microstructure, improving its precipitation state and its mechanical properties (hardness, tensile and creep properties). In the present paper, experimental steel called NPM, designed for good high-temperature creep resistance, is evaluated in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties, and compared to the G91 steel. Then the developed thermomechanical treatment is applied to this steel. Its microstructure is refined and its hardness and tensile properties are much better than the as-received NPM and therefore than the G91 steel. The cyclic softening effect still occurs for the optimized NPM, but this material once softened by cyclic loadings, still presents better creep properties than the as-received NPM steel, and even more than the commercial G91 steel