Patent Publication Number: US-6033497-A

Title: Pitting resistant duplex stainless steel alloy with improved machinability and method of making thereof

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to a Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/058,1090 filed Sep. 5, 1997. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to pitting resistant duplex stainless steel alloy with improved machinability. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a duplex stainless steel that is treated by an accelerated in-mold heat treatment treated after casting without using a separate heat treatment step. The duplex stainless steel has improved machinability and retains excellent corrosion resistant properties. 
     Rainger et al. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,612,069 and 4,740,254) describe a duplex stainless steel alloy having improved pitting resistance. The alloy described in those patents as &#34;X-6&#34; is herein called &#34;Alloy 86&#34;. Alloy 86 is the result of adding 2 weight percent copper to an alloy (Alloy 75) without a simultaneous addition of molybdenum. The addition of copper without molybdenum allows the duplex stainless steel alloy to be very slowly control cooled in a tightly closed heat treatment furnace so that harmful tensile residual stresses are minimized while excellent ductility and corrosion resistance were retained. 
     A comparative commercially available molybdenum-containing alloy is 3RE60 SRG® from Avesta Prefab. A.V. of Sweden. Typical compositions of the duplex stainless steels discussed in this application are listed in Table I below in weight percent: 
     
                       TABLE I                                                     
______________________________________                                    
Alloy        Cr     Ni         Cu  Mo                                     
______________________________________                                    
Alloy 75     25.7   6.8        --  --                                     
Alloy 86     26     6.8        2.0 --                                     
X-11         26     6.8        2.0 --                                     
3RE60 SRG    18.5   5.0        --  2.8                                    
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     Alloy 86 has useful applications in the chemical and pulp and paper manufacturing industries. The Alloy 86 can be used to make, but is not limited to, such products as vessels, retorts and piping; for paper machine roll shells such as coater rolls, grooved rolls and blind-drilled rolls; and for paper machine suction roll shell applications such as breast rolls, couch rolls, pickup rolls, press rolls and wringer rolls. These products require hundreds of hours of machining and hole-drilling time during their manufacture. The alloy X-11 of the present invention also has the same useful applications but with faster manufacturing cycle times and improved machinability and drillability. 
     Competitive pressures have directed metallurgical development towards duplex stainless steel alloys that have the necessary corrosion resistant properties for their end use, but can be manufactured in less time. The X-11 alloy has a desired combination of properties achieved through its chemical composition and accelerated in-mold heat treatment. Accelerated in-mold heat treatment manufacturing time by eliminating the separate heat treatment step needed by conventional alloys; by reducing machine tool setup with straighter, rounder centrifugal castings; by providing an alloy that is easier to machine and drill thereby reducing the amount of machining and drilling time needed to manufacture the product; and by reducing tool wear so that manufacturing equipment does not need to be stopped to change dull tools. 
     The required properties for the successful use of a duplex stainless steel alloy for suction roll shells in the pulp and paper making industries are a chemical composition that yields a duplex microstructure of austenite in a ferrite matrix, corrosion resistance in aggressive paper mill white waters, resistance to fatigue crack growth, and low residual stresses. In addition to its unique manufacturing properties, the X-11 alloy meets these service requirements. 
     Duplex stainless steels with intentional additions of molybdenum cannot be heat treated in the mold because the cooling rate is not fast enough to avoid the formation of embrittling and corrosion-degrading phases. An additional heat treatment step to dissolve those undesirable phases followed by a fast cooling step to prevent their reoccurrence is needed. The chemical compositions of Alloy 86 and X-11 with their copper addition for pitting resistance can tolerate much slower cooling rates and not form those brittle phases. 
     The machinability of duplex stainless steels is considered to be limited by their high annealed strength (Metals Handbook, Ninth Edition, pp. 689-690). Carlborg, C., Nilsson, A., and Franklind, P-A, &#34;Machinability of Duplex Stainless Steel&#34;, Proceedings of a Conference Held in Beaune Bourgogne, France, October 1991, Vol. 1, pp. 683-696, discusses a variety of metallurgical variables such as high temperature strength, inclusions, structure and alloying elements on duplex stainless steel machinability but does not recognize the relationship of accelerated in-mold heat treatment for enhanced machinability. Charles, J., Dupoiron, F., Souglignac, P., and Gagnepain, Jr., &#34;UR 35N Cu: A New Copper-Rich Molybdenum Free Duplex Stainless Steel with Improved Machinability, &#34;Proceedings of a Conference Held in Beaune Bourgogne, France, October 1991, Vol. 2, pp. 1274-1281, reports that copper in a water-quenched duplex stainless steel improves machinability. However, the X-11 alloy at the same copper content as Alloy 86 has improved machinability as a result of accelerated in-mold heat treatment, which is not recognized by Charles et al. 
     The prior art of steel makers suggests that machinability of austenitic stainless steels can be enhanced by additions of alloying elements such as sulfur and selenium that may reduce corrosion performance (Metals Handbook Ninth Edition p. 686). Or, special steel making practices need to be implemented to control oxide inclusion composition (Metals Handbook Ninth Edition p. 688; Johansson, R., Davison, R., &#34;Wrought Duplex Stainless Steel Suction Rolls With High Performance&#34;, 1996 TAPPI Engineering Conference Proceedings, pp. 103-109; Carsson, T., &#34;Prodec-How to Solve Machining Problems&#34;, pp. 9-12). Neither practice is required for the X-11 alloy to have enhanced machinability and drillability. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A highly pitting resistant duplex stainless steel alloy is provided which comprises in weight percentages: C: 0.10% and below; Si: 1.5% and below; Mn: 2.0% and below; Cr: 25.0% to 27.0%; Ni: 5.0% to 7.5%; Cu: 1.5% to 3.5%; N: 0.15% and below; Mo: 0.5% and below; and the remaining portion being substantially iron and unavoidable impurities to form the material of the highly pitting resistant duplex stainless alloy. This alloy has greatly improved machinability when an accelerated heat treatment is used in the mold after casting as compared to the same alloy composition that is very slowly control cooled in a tightly closed heat treatment furnace as a separate process step. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The process of accelerated in-mold heat treatment described herein is for a hollow cylindrical centrifugal casting, but can apply to other cast duplex stainless steel products where control of microstructure and residual stresses are important. Molten metal poured into a mold solidifies and eventually cools to ambient temperature. Prior art duplex stainless steels require that a casting be removed from its mold and be heat treated for optimum corrosion resistance in another piece of manufacturing equipment (i.e. furnace) as a separate process step. The alloy of the present invention, X-11, is unique because it is heat treated in the mold through an accelerated process, and as a result avoids a major heat treatment process step. The alloy of the present invention is made without the need for a separate furnace controlled cooling step. 
     The inside temperature of the cast duplex stainless steel product is kept at approximately the same temperature as the outside temperature of the cast duplex stainless steel product during cooling. Both the inside and the outside temperatures are controlled so that both temperatures slowly decrease at the same rate. 
     With accelerated in-mold cooling, the rate of the casting cooling is controlled in the temperature range over which the metal develops significant strength, that is approximately 260° C.-1090° C. (500° F.-2000° F.). Within this temperature range, the temperature of the inside diameter of the casting is kept within 250° C. (450° F.) of the temperature of the outside diameter of the casting by measuring the inside and outside temperatures. The rate of cooling of the inside and outside temperatures can be controlled by slowing down the cooling rate of the casting by adding heat to the inside or using thermal insulation at the mold ends; or speeding up the cooling rate by using techniques like a controlled amount of forced air, a water mist, or a water spray or other cooling media or other cooling techniques. 
     The time needed to accomplish the accelerated in-mold heat treatment is less than about 20 hours depending on the mass of the casting. This heat treatment time is much less when compared to the time required to heat treat Alloy 86, about 72-144 hours plus possible delays waiting for heat treat furnace availability. The accelerated in-mold heat treatment of the X-11 alloy offers significant advantages in overall time savings, reduction in material handing and avoidance of a manufacturing bottleneck. 
     The improvements in machinability and drillability of the X-11 alloy from the accelerated in-mold heat treatment is demonstrated in a drilling test that is a sensitive measure of both machinability and drillability. In this test, holes approximately 4 mm (0.156 in.) in diameter are drilled in a test block with M42 grade twist drills. Holes are drilled to a total depth of 38 mm (1.5 in.) in steps. The first step is 6 mm (0.25 in.) deep, the remaining steps are 3 mm (0.125 inc.). A rotational speed of 750 revolutions per minute is used with a freed rate of 51 mm (2.03 in.) per minute. The drill is lubricated with drilling oil. The drilling test results are the number of holes drilled before tool breakage, excessive wear, or excessive noise and vibration. The results are shown in the Table II below with high numbers being desired: 
     
                       TABLE II                                                    
______________________________________                                    
Sample        Number of Holes Drilled                                     
______________________________________                                    
Alloy 86       79                                                         
X-11 Sample #1                                                            
              252                                                         
X-11 Sample #2                                                            
              217                                                         
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     Drills used in the X-11 samples had approximately 3 times the drill life as those used in drilling the Alloy 86. This is a significant and unexpected improvement in tool life which is due to the use of accelerated in-mold heat treatment of the X-11 alloy. 
     Material Performance 
     Corrosion resistance is measured using an electrochemical technique. A sample is tested in a very corrosive simulated paper mill white water solution under the following conditions: 35 mg/l thiosulfate ion, 400 mg/l chloride ion, 800 mg/l sulfate ion, with a pH of 4.1 and a temperature of 54° C. The corrosion resistance is measured by a value called the &#34;margin of safety&#34;, with a high number being desired. Margins of safety are listed in the Table III below. 
     
                       TABLE III                                                   
______________________________________                                    
Alloy           Margin of Safety (mV)                                     
______________________________________                                    
Alloy 86 (historical range                                                
                560-1120                                                  
from casting in service)                                                  
X-11            920                                                       
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     No Alloy 86 has corroded in service out of more than 450 products produced. The X-11 alloy&#39;s margin of safety of 920 mV is near the top of the values experienced for Alloy 86. The X-11 alloy has equivalent to superior corrosion resistance in very corrosive white waters as the Alloy 86. This is unexpected and unique finding for an alloy such as the X-11 alloy which has been subjected to an accelerated in-mold heat treatment. 
     Resistance to fatigue crack growth is determined with a cyclically loaded compact tension specimen. A sample is tested in a very corrosive simulated paper mill white water solution under the following conditions: 50 mg/l thiosulfate ion, 200 mg/l chloride ion, 500 mg/l sulfate ion, with a pH of 3.5, a temperature of 50° C. at a frequency of 25 Hz. A characteristic called the threshold stress intensity range (Δk th ) is measured, and a critical crack size is calculated for a simplified mechanical analysis with high numbers being desired. 
     
                       TABLE IV                                                    
______________________________________                                    
              Δk.sub.th                                             
                       Critical Crack                                     
Alloy         MPa√m)                                               
                       Size (mm)                                          
______________________________________                                    
Alloy 75       9       7                                                  
Alloy 86      11       11                                                 
X-11          10       9                                                  
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     Fatigue crack growth is a laboratory test that best ranks material resistance to corrosion-assisted cracking in service (Yeske, R., &#34;Corrosion Fatigue Testing of Suction Roll Alloys&#34;, TPPI Journal, March 1988; Yeske, R., Revall, M., Thompson, C., &#34;Corrosion-Assisted Cracking of Duplex Stainless Steels in Suction Roll Applications&#34; TAPPI Journal, August 1994; ASM International, Metals Handbook, Ninth Edition, Vol. 16, pp. 686-690). The fatigue crack growth resistance of the X-11 alloy is between that of Alloy 75 and Alloy 86, both of which have provided excellent service performance in a variety of white waters. The X-11 alloy also provides excellent service. 
     The residual stresses are measured at the inside diameter (I.D.) of the machined cylinder. Alloy 86 with its slow furnace cooling heat treatment step has a nominal I.D. tensile residual stress of 24 MPa (3,500 psi). The alloy-11 which has been subjected to the accelerated in-mold heat treatment has a nominal I.D. tensile residual stress of 52 MPa (7,600 psi). A value less than 83 MPa (12,000 psi) is acceptable. 
     The present invention is a duplex stainless steel with unique combination of excellent service and manufacturing properties, especially enhanced machinability and drillability, that results from accelerated in-mold heat treatment.