Thermal Ageing Influence On The PM+HIP Austenitic Stainless-steel Properties

Framatome and EDF launched a pre-industrialisation project intended to demonstrate the ability of the PM+HIP process and the supply-chain to produce an 8-tons 304L primary elbow in compliance with the nuclear requirements. During the WorldPM24 congress, the quenched material properties were exposed showing excellent values and homogeneity across the whole primary elbow, thus demonstrating the maturity of the PM+HIP process for austenitic stainless steel to achieve its industrialisation for large scale components. The extensive elbow characterisation program aims also to assess the thermal ageing influence on the quenched material properties, which is a crucial input in the nuclear industry. After briefly reminding the quenched material properties, the presentation will provide characterisation results – tensile, impact and fracture toughness, fatigue, weldability – which confirms the PM+HIP 304L properties stability after thermal ageing (400°C | 10000h).