A new nickel-base superalloy GH750 has been developed as boiler tube of advanced ultrasupercritical (A-USC) power plants at temperatures about and above 750°C in China. This paper researched the weld solidification of GH750 filler metal, microstructure development and property of GH750 welded joint by gas tungsten arc weld. Liquid fraction and liquid composition variation under non-equilibrium state were calculated by thermo-dynamic calculation. The weld microstructure and the composition in the dendrite core and interdendritic region were analyzed by SEM(EDX) in detail. The investigated results show that there is an obvious segregation of precipitation-strengthening elements during the weld solidification. Titanium and Niobium are the major segregation elements and segregates in the interdendritic region. It was found that the changing tendency of the elements’ segregation distribution during the solidification of GH750 deposit metal is agree with the thermodynamic calculation results. Till to 3,000hrs’ long exposure at 750°C and 800°C, in comparison with the region of dendrite core of solidification microstructure, not only the coarsening and the accumulation of γʹ particles are remarkable in the interdendritic region, but also the small quantity of the blocky and needle like η phases from. The preliminary experimental results indicate that the weakening effect of creep-rupture property of the welded joint is not serious compared with GH750 itself.

A new nickel-based superalloy, designated as GH750, was developed to meet the requirements of high temperature creep strength and corrosion resistance for superheater/reheater tube application of A-USC power plants at temperatures above 750°C. This paper introduces the design of chemical composition, the process performance of tube fabrication, microstructure and the properties of alloy GH750, including thermodynamic calculation, room temperature and high temperature tensile properties, stress rupture strength and thermal stability. The manufacturing performance of alloy GH750 is excellent and it is easy to forge, hot extrusion and cold rolling. The results of the property evaluation show that alloy GH750 exhibits high tensile strength and tensile ductility at room and high temperatures. The 760°C/100,000h creep rupture strength of this alloy is larger than 100MPa clearly. Microstructure observation indicates that the precipitates of GH750 consist of the precipitation strengthening phase γ’, carbides MC and M 23 C 6 and no harmful and brittle TCP phases were found in the specimens of GH750 after long term exposure at 700~850°C. It can be expected for this new nickel-based superalloy GH750 to be used as the candidate boiler tube materials of A-USC power plants in the future.

This overview paper contains a part of structure stability study on advanced austenitic heat-resisting steels (TP347H, Super304H and HR3C) and Ni-base superalloys (Nimonic80A, Waspaloy and Inconel740/740H) for 600-700°C A-USC fossil power plant application from a long-term joint project among companies, research institutes and university in China. The long time structure stability of these advanced austenitic steel TP347H, Super304H, HR3C in the temperature range of 650-700 °C and Ni-base superalloys Nimonic80A, Waspaloy and Inconel740/740H in the temperature range of 600-800°C till 10,000h have been detailed studied in this paper.

Inconel alloy 740H is designated for boiler sueprheater/reheater tubes and main steam/header pipes application of advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) power plant at operating temperatures above 750°C. Microstructure evolution and precipitates stability in the samples of alloy 740H after creep-rupture test at 750°C, 800°C and 850°C were characterized in this paper by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and chemical phase analysis in details. The phase compositions of alloy 740H were also calculated by thermodynamic calculation. The research results indicate that the microstructure of this alloy keeps good thermal stability during creep-rupture test at 750°C, 800°C and 850°C. The precipitates are MC, M 23 C 6 and γ′ during creep-rupture test. The temperature of creep test has an important effect on the growth rate of γ′ phase. No harmful and brittle σ phase was found and also no γ′ to η transformation happened during creep. Thermodynamic calculations reveal almost all the major phases and their stable temperatures, fractions and compositions in the alloy. The calculated results of phase compositions are consistent with the results of chemical phase analysis. In brief, except of coarsening of γ′, Inconel alloy 740H maintains the very good structure stability at temperatures between 750°C and 850°C.

This paper presents the creep and creep-fatigue crack growth behaviors of 30Cr1Mo1V turbine rotor steel which had been in service for 16 years. Two typical sections of the rotor, i.e. high and low temperature sections, are examined at 538°C, with crack initiation and propagation monitored by D.C. potential drop method in a compact tension (CT) specimen. The material of the high temperature section has the lower resistance to creep and creep-fatigue crack growths than the low temperature section. The creep crack initiation (CCI) time decreases with the increase of initial stress intensity factor. The creep-fatigue crack growth (CFCG) is dominated by the cycle-dependent fatigue process when the hold time at the maximum load is shorter, but it becomes dominated by the time-dependent creep process when the hold time becomes longer. The high temperature section shows a larger influence of time-dependent creep behavior on CFCG than the low temperature section.

This overview paper summarizes part of structure stability study results in China on advanced heat-resistant steels, nickel-iron and nickel base superalloys such as 12Cr2MoWVTiB(GY102) ferritic steel, Super 304H austenitic steel, GH2984, Nimonic 80A and INCONEL 740 superalloys for fossil power plant application. China had established first USC power plant with steam parameters of 650°C and 25 MPa in the year of 2006. Austenitic heat-resistant steel Super 304H is mainly used as boiler superheater and reheater material. Ni-Cr-Fe base superalloy GH2984 was used as tube material for marine power application. Ni-Cr-Co type INCONEL 740 has been studied in a joint project with Special Metals Corp., USA for European USC model power plant with the steam temperature of 700°C. Nimonic 80A has been used as several stage USC steam turbine bucket material at 600°C in China. Structure stability study of Nimonic 80A shows its possibility of 700°C application for USC steam turbine buckets.