Computer Simulation of Precipitation in a Complex 9-12% Cr-Steel During Fabrication Heat Treatment

A novel multi-component, multi-particle, multi-phase precipitation model is used to predict the precipitation kinetics in complex 9-12% Cr steels investigated within the European COST project. These steels are used for tubes, pipes, casings and rotors in USC (ultra super critical) steam power plants for the 21^st century. In the computer simulations, the evolution of the precipitate microstructure is monitored during the entire fabrication heat treatment including casting, austenitizing, several annealing treatments. The main interest lies on the concurrent nucleation, growth, coarsening and dissolution of different types of precipitates.