About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Developments in Advanced Nuclear Structural Materials
|
| Presentation Title |
Thermal Degradation During Aging and Creep Conditions of LPBF 316H Stainless Steel |
| Author(s) |
Xuan Zhang, Lin Gao, Srinivas Aditya Mantri, Mark Messner, Caleb Massey |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Xuan Zhang |
| Abstract Scope |
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 316H stainless steel has received great interest for high-temperature nuclear reactor applications. In this study, multiple heats of LPBF 316H builds with various post-build heat treatments have been subjected to thermal aging and creep testing to assess their long-term performance in comparison to the conventional wrought material. Results show that, while LPBF 316H exhibits better creep resistance, its creep ductility, particularly at temperatures exceeding 725°C, appears to be lower than the wrought. Through a multi-scale microstructural investigation of thermally aged or creep-tested samples, it is found that the accelerated thermal degradation in LPBF materials is responsible. Intermetallic phases such as sigma nucleate along high-angle grain boundaries and grow rapidly into large sizes, which promotes crack initiation and propagation along grain boundaries. This presentation summarizes the experimental findings and the potential impact of the accelerated thermal degradation on the performance of LPBF 316H in prolonged service. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Mechanical Properties, Nuclear Materials |