STUDY OF AGING EFFECTS IN 2205 DUPLEX STAINLESS STEEL USING THERMOELECTRIC POWER MEASUREMENT

Thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements have been used as an effective method for evaluating the metallurgical state of various alloys. In the steel industry, some fabrication processes promote phase transformation and second phase precipitations which affect the material properties. Assessment of mechanical properties is critical in order to ensure quality of components. This work was conducted in order to evaluate the influence of the aging state of 2205 duplex stainless steel on TEP values. Commercial 2205 duplex steel was isothermally aged at 650 deg. C 700 deg. C and 900 deg. C at different aging times. TEP measurement technique was applied as a non destructive assessment technique to characterize the aging kinetics of the aged 2205 duplex stainless steel, hardness Rockwell (RC) and Charpy impact test were preformed to observe the effect of aging time on the specimens. Metallographic analysis was used to monitor phase transformation and sigma phase precipitation caused by the spinodal decomposition process of ferrite into secondary austenite and sigma phase. Results indicate that that the TEP is sensitive to gradual microstructural changes produced by the aging treatments.