Abstract:
A method of increasing intergranular stress corrosion cracking resistance of Alloy 718 in water reactor environments is described where the alloy is heat treated at a high solution annealing temperature to dissolve grain boundary precipitates formed during thermomechanical processing. A water quenching step is advantageously employed following the high solution annealing. The alloy is then aged at two separate temperatures and finally air cooled to room temperature.
Abstract:
A method of increasing intergranular stress corrosion cracking resistance of Alloy 718 in water reactor environments is disclosed. The Alloy is heat treated at a high annealing temperature to dissolve .delta. precipitates. The absence of .delta. particles at the grain boundaries increases the elemental homogeneity at the boundaries and increases intergranular stress corrosion cracking resistance. In addition, the absence of .delta. phase at the grain boundaries decreases the crack propagation rate.