Abstract
The electronic properties of an alloy correlate directly to its microstructure. The thermoelectric power coefficient has been determined in this investigation to be a rapid and accurate measurement that can be used for microstructural assessment and correlated to achieve the maximum material performance of structural alloys. In high-nitrogen-strengthened stainless-steel welds, nitrogen partitions into solidsolution nitrogen and nitrides during the welding thermal cycle. The formation of nitrides results in a degradation of the mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance. Thermoelectric power measurements offer a means of assessing the weld-interstitial nitrogen content, which allows for a better correlation between the nitrogen content and the weld-metal microstructure and properties. Using pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) (activity) diagrams, thermodynamic models are developed to describe the relationship between the thermoelectric power coefficient as a function of the interstitial nitrogen content and the formed nitride content. These correlations between the electronic property measurements and the interstitial nitrogen content will allow for a faster, nondestructive, and improved property prediction of nitrogen-strengthened stainless steels.
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Lasseigne, A.N., Olson, D.L., Kleebe, H.J. et al. Microstructural assessment of nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless-steel welds using thermoelectric power. Metall Mater Trans A 36, 3031–3039 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-005-0075-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-005-0075-6