The results of a failure analysis of a series of Cr-Mo-V steel turbine studs which had experienced a service lifetime of some 50,000 h are described. It was observed that certain studs suffered complete fracture while others showed significant defects located at the first stress bearing thread. Crack extension was the result of marked creep embrittlement and reverse temper embrittlement (RTE). Selected approaches were examined to assess the effects of RTE on the material toughness of selected studs. It was observed that Auger electron microscopy results which indicated the extent of grain boundary phosphorus segregation exhibited a good relationship with ambient temperature Charpy data. The electrochemical polarization kinetic reactivation, EPR, approach, however, proved disappointing in that the overlapping scatter in the minimum current density, Ir, for an embrittled and a non-embrittled material was such that no clear decision of the toughness properties was possible by this approach. The initial results obtained from small punch testing showed good agreement with other reported data and could be related to the FATT. Indeed, this small punch test, combined with a miniature sample sampling method, represents an attractive approach to the toughness assessment of critical power plant components.

Although a precise understanding of roll failure genesis is complex, the microstructure of a broken roll can often unravel intrinsic deficiencies in material quality responsible for its failure. This is especially relevant in circumstances when, even under a similar mill-operating environment, the failure involves a particular roll or a specific batch of rolls. This paper provides a microstructural insight into the cause of premature breakage of a second-intermediate Sendzimir mill drive roll used at a stainless steel sheet rolling plant under the Steel Authority of India Limited. Microstructural issues influencing roll quality, such as characteristics of carbides, tempered martensite, retained austenite, etc., have been extensively studied through optical and scanning electron microscopy, electron-probe microanalysis, image analysis, and x-ray diffractometry. These are discussed to elucidate specific microstructural inadequacies that accentuated the failure. The study reveals that even through retained austenite content is low (6.29 vol%) and martensite is non-acicular, the roll breakage is a consequence of intergranular cracking caused by improper carbide morphology and distribution.