Quantitative influence of minor and impurity elements on solidification cracking susceptibility of extra high purity type 310 stainless steel

Abstract

To evaluate the influence of minor and impurity elements on the solidification cracking susceptibility in austenitic stainless steel welds, the transverse Varestraint test was conducted using several extra high purity type 310 stainless steels with different amounts of C, Mn, P and S. The characteristic influence on solidification cracking could be expressed by the ratio of P/S/C≈1∶1·3∶0·56, while Mn affected solidification cracking to a negligible extent. A theoretical approach revealed that the reduced solidification cracking susceptibility with decreasing C, P and S contents could be attributed to the suppression of solidification segregation.

Keywords:

• Extra high purity stainless steel
• Minor and impurity elements
• Solidification cracking
• Solidification segregation
• Theoretical approach

The present study includes the results of work performed under the grant ‘Research and Development of Nitric Acid Resistant Material Technology Applicable to the Next Generation of Reprocessing Equipment’ entrusted to Kobe Steel, Ltd, by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT). The authors would like to thank Mr Y. Nishijima (Osaka University) for his cooperation in this research.