Improvement of high temperature strength and low temperature toughness of high manganese-chromium austenitic steels

High Mn-Cr austenitic steels are still considered to be an important high temperature structural material from the point of view of fast-induced radioactivity decay (FIRD) and non-magneticity. The objective of the present study is to investigate the mechanical properties of 12% Cr-15% Mn austenitic stainless steels and to compare these properties with those of the reference materials of JPCAs and JFMS, which are being investigated for the development of fusion reactor structural materials in Japan. The effects of the alloying elements V, Ti, Ta, etc. were investigated to determine the improvement of mechanical properties. Tiny precipitates of VN and Ti(C, N) raised the high-temperature strength considerably. Content of 0.1 to 0.2% C, however, formed very coarse precipitates of M23C6 type carbide on the grain boundaries, which deteriorated low temperature toughness inducing intergranular fracture. Microstructural evolution during long-term aging was also investigated. ((orig.))