Although hot isostatic pressing (HIP) has been shown to demonstrate significant advances over more conventional manufacture routes, it is important to appreciate and quantify the detrimental effects of oxygen involvement during the HIP manufacture process on the microstructural and material properties of the resulting component. This paper quantifies the effects of oxygen content on the microstructure and Charpy impact properties of HIP'd austenitic stainless steel, through combination of detailed metallographic examination and mechanical testing on HIP'd Type 316L steel containing different concentrations (100 to 190 ppm) of oxygen. Micron-scale pores were visible in the microstructure of the HIP'd materials postmetallographic preparation, which result from the removal of nonmetallic oxide inclusions during metallographic preparation. The area fraction of the resulting pores is shown to correlate with the oxygen concentration which influences the Charpy impact toughness over the temperature range of 77 K to 573 K (À196°C to 300°C), and demonstrates the influence of oxygen involved during the HIP manufacture process on Charpy toughness. The same test procedures and microstructural analyses were performed on commercially available forged 316L. This showed comparatively fewer inclusions and exhibited higher Charpy impact toughness over the tested temperature range.

With near-net shape technology becoming a more desirable route toward component manufacture due to its ability to reduce machining time and associated costs, it is important to demonstrate that components fabricated via Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) are able to perform to similar standards as those set by equivalent forged materials. This paper describes the results of a series of Charpy tests from HIP'd and forged 304L and 316L austenitic stainless steel, and assesses the differences in toughness values observed. The pre-test and post-test microstructures were examined to develop an understanding of the underlying reasons for the differences observed. The as-received microstructure of HIP'd material was found to contain micro-pores, which was not observed in the forged material. In tested specimens, martensite was detectable within close proximity to the fracture surface of Charpy specimens tested at 77 K (À196°C), and not detected in locations remote from the fracture surface, nor was martensite observed in specimens tested at ambient temperatures. The results suggest that the observed changes in the Charpy toughness are most likely to arise due to differences in as-received microstructures of HIP'd vs forged stainless steel.

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