Claims
- 1. A method of producing austenite steel for use in the radiation zone of a nuclear reactor, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming said austenite steel with about 16 to 20% by weight chromium, about 8 to 14% by weight nickel, up to about 0.08% by weight carbon, about 0.4 to 0.9% by weight niobium, and impurities whose content of silicon is less than 0.1% by weight and whose total content of sulfur and phosphorous is less than 0.03% by weight; and
- exposing said austenite steel to a temperature treatment at between 1000 and 1100.degree. C. to produce niobium carbide depositions in said austenite steel with a diameter between 20 and 750 nm.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing step includes an annealing step carried out at about 1050.degree. C.
- 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of exposing said austenite steel to a subsequent temperature treatment at less than 800.degree. C.
- 4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of subjecting said austenite steel to rough deformation prior to said exposing step.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step includes the step of using less than 0.06% weight carbon.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step includes the step of using a niobium-to-carbon ratio between 10:1 and 30:1.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step includes the step of using iron impurities whose content of silicon is less than 0.08% by weight.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step includes the step of using iron impurities whose total content of sulfur and phosphorous is less than 0.02% by weight.
- 9. The method of claim 3 wherein said forming step includes the step of using iron impurities whose total content of sulfur and phosphorous is less than 0.008% by weight.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step includes the step of forming said austenite steel with between about 1.5 and 2.0% by weight manganese.
- 11. Austenite steel formed by the method of claim 1.
Parent Case Info
This application is a 371 of PCT/US 92/11261 filed Dec. 18, 1992.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/US92/11261 |
12/18/1992 |
|
|
3/7/1997 |
3/7/1997 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO94/14993 |
7/7/1994 |
|
|
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4836976 |
Jacobs |
Jun 1989 |
|
4863682 |
Coates et al. |
Sep 1989 |
|
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