Boron effect on the microstructure of 9% Cr ferritic-martensitic steels

The microstructure of reduces-activation 9Cr-WTaV steel alloyed with 83 and 1160 wt. ppm 10B was detailed analysed using transmission electron microscopy. The influence of boron content on the precipitation behaviour of M23C6 and MX (VN and TaC) phases and, hence, on the formation process of steel's grain and lath structure was studied. VN precipitates, which play an important role in the stabilisation of the lath structure, exhibit most sensitive reaction on presence of boron. Their spatial density significantly reduces in the alloy with 83 ppm boron. In the steel with 1160 wt. ppm boron, no formation of VN was detected, whereas TaC particles precipitate at the lath and grain boundaries. These changes in the structure stabilisation mechanism lead to an increasing lath width and a decreasing thermal stability of laths and grains. Analytical investigations of several BN particles reveal their complex multi-phase structure and allow conclusions to be drawn with respect to their precipitation sequence.