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Abstract
A533B and C–Mn steels, widely used as nuclear pressure vessel steels, have been aged at 520°C after tempering at 650°C for various periods of time to produce different levels of embrittlement resulting from the segregation of P to grain boundaries. Metallographic observation and tensile test results showed that the embrittlement heat treatment did not have significant influence on the microstructures or tensile properties of the steels. P segregation at grain boundaries and on intergranular facets was investigated using field emission gun transmission electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. After such treatment, enhanced segregation was found to be a linear function of the square root of embrittling time. Statistical analysis of the AES measurements indicated that there is a minimum segregation level for intergranular fracture to occur.