Effects of aging temperature on microstructural evolution at dissimilar metal weld interfaces

From the earlier study which characterized the region of a fusion boundary between a low-alloy steel (LAS) and a Ni-based weld metal of as-welded and aged samples at 450 °C for a 30-y-equivalent time, it was observed in the microstructure that the aging treatment induced the formation and growth of Cr precipitates in the fusion boundary region because of the thermodynamic driving force. Now, this research extends the text matrix and continues the previous study by compiling all the test data, with an additional aging heat treatment conducted at 400 °C for 15- and 30-y-equivalent times (6450 and 12,911 h, respectively). The results for the extended test matrix primarily represent the common features of and disparities in the effects of thermal aging on the aged samples at two different heat-treatment temperatures (400 and 450 °C). Although no difference was expected between the samples, because the heat treatment conditions simulate thermal aging effects during the same service time of 30 y, the sample aged at 450 °C exhibited slightly more severe effects of thermal aging than the sample aged at 400 °C. Nevertheless, the trends for these effects are similar and the simulation of thermal aging effects for a light-water reactor appears to be reliable. However, according to a simulation of the same degree of thermal aging effects, it appears that the activation energy for Cr diffusion should be larger than the numerical value used in this study.