The effect of reduced oxygen content powder on the impact toughness of 316 steel powder joined to 316 steel by low temperature HIP

During the manufacture of the blanket modules, 316L steel powder is simultaneously consolidated and joined to tubes and blocks of 316L materials by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The high processing temperature can detrimentally increase the grain size of the water-cooling tubes in the structure and the blocks reducing their strength. It is well known [L. Arnberg, A. Karlsson, Influence of powder surface oxidation on some properties of a HIPed martensitic chromium steel, Int. J. Powder Metall. 24 (2) (1988) 107–112] that surface oxides on the powder particles negatively influence the impact toughness of material and joints consolidated in this way. At a high HIP temperature, the oxides are at least partly transformed, thereby improving the impact toughness [L. Nyborg, I. Olefjord, Surface analysis of PM martensitic steel before and after consolidation. Part 2. Surface analysis of compacted material, Powder Metall. 31 (1) (1988) 40–44]. In order to get acceptable mechanical properties of materials produced at a low HIP temperature, the oxygen content on the powder surfaces needs to be reduced. In order to study the effect of reducing the powder oxygen content, it was reduced and the results were compared to those of specimens with ordinary oxygen content. The effect on the impact toughness and the tensile strength of low temperature (1020 and 1060 °C) HIP joints between steel blocks and powder consolidated material with low and ordinary oxygen content was measured.