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Chinese Journal of Materials Research  2026, Vol. 40 Issue (4): 274-284    DOI: 10.11901/1005.3093.2025.258
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Effect of Thermal Fatigue Temperature on Crack Propagation Behavior in 25Cr3Mo3NiNb Steel
LIU Yangguang1, LI Fengyu1, MAN Da1, JIN Zili1, LI Wei1,2(), REN Huiping1
1.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010, China
2.Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology Analysis and Testing Center, Baotou 014010, China
Cite this article: 

LIU Yangguang, LI Fengyu, MAN Da, JIN Zili, LI Wei, REN Huiping. Effect of Thermal Fatigue Temperature on Crack Propagation Behavior in 25Cr3Mo3NiNb Steel. Chinese Journal of Materials Research, 2026, 40(4): 274-284.

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Abstract  

25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel is an outstanding material for special pressure vessels, in which thermal fatigue cracking is a critical factor limiting its service life. The strength of this steel is primarily derived from secondary hardening induced by dispersed carbides, whose size strongly depends on the diffusion rate of key alloying elements at different temperatures. Herein, the effect of thermal fatigue temperature on the crack propagation behavior of 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steels, being subjected to quenching and tempering treatments respectively was studied. The thermal fatigue test was conducted via helding the steel at 600 oC or 700 oC for 5 min and then quick cooling in room temperature water as one cycle. The variation of microstructures and crack propagation behavior along with the thermal cyclic testing up to 300 cycles was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that after thermal fatigue at 600 oC, the M2C carbides coarsened slightly while still maintaining a high number density, which effectively retarded the microstructure recovery and preserved the tempered martensite structure, accompanied by a slight decrease in hardness. In contrast, after thermal fatigue at 700 oC, the M2C carbides coarsened significantly, resulting in the transformation of the microstructure into tempered sorbite and a remarkable drop in hardness. The difference in microstructural state directly governed the crack propagation mode: at 600 oC, both the main and secondary cracks propagated primarily along pre-austenite grain boundaries where severe dislocation pile-ups occurred; at 700 oC, microstructural recovery eliminated local inhomogeneity, leading to transgranular propagation of the main crack, while the secondary cracks tended to nucleate and extend along inclusions.

Key words:  metallic materials      25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel      thermal fatigue      crack initiation and propagation     
Received:  19 August 2025     
ZTFLH:  TG142.1  
Fund: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Excellent Youth Fund Project(2025YQ017);Basic Scientific Research Business Expenses of Universities Directly under Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(2023QNJS040);Basic Scientific Research Business Expenses of Universities Directly under Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(2023RCTD003);Scientific Research Special Project for First-Class Disciplines in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(YLXKZX-NKD-001)
Corresponding Authors:  LI Wei, Tel: 18947203217, E-mail: liwei_imust@126.com

URL: 

https://www.cjmr.org/EN/10.11901/1005.3093.2025.258     OR     https://www.cjmr.org/EN/Y2026/V40/I4/274

CNiMoNbCrPSFe
0.241.412.880.062.850.0050.003Bal.
Table 1  Composition of alloy elements in experimental steel (mass fraction, %)
Fig.1  Schematic diagram of heat treatment process for 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel (a) homogenization annealing and high temperature forging, (b) quenching and tempering treatment
Fig.2  Thermal fatigue specimen diagram (units: mm)
Fig.3  Thermal fatigue process diagram
Fig.4  SEM before and after thermal fatigue at different temperature (a) before thermal fatigue, (b) 600 oC, (c) 700 oC
Fig.5  TEM images and precipitate statistics before and after thermal fatigue (a, d) before thermal fatigue, (b, e) 600 oC, (c, f) 700 oC, (g) statistics of precipitate size and number density
Fig.6  Rockwell hardness and STEM diagram before and after thermal fatigue (a) Rockwell hardness, (b) 600 oC, (c) 700 oC
Fig.7  SEM of cracks after 300 thermal fatigues at different temperature (a, c) 600 oC, (b, d) 700 oC
Fig.8  SEM image and surface scan image of crack (a-d) 600 oC, (e-h) 700 oC
Fig.9  EBSD observation of crack tip (a-e) 600 oC, (f-j) 700 oC, (a, f) SEM, (b, g) IPF, (c, h) GOS, (d, i) GB, (e, j) KAM
Fig.10  Proportion of grain boundaries with different angles after thermal fatigue at different temperature (a) 600 oC, (b) 700 oC
Fig.11  Initiation and propagation diagram of thermal fatigue crack
Fig.12  EBSD observation of inclusions near cracks (a-d) 600 oC, (e-k) 700 oC, (a, e) SEM, (b, f-i) EDS and surface scan images, (c, j) IPF, (d, k) KAM
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