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In this work, we successfully prepared Bi-2223/Ag tapes by sintering at temperatures above the Bi-2223 decomposition temperature. The continuous cooling sintering (CCS) process, which was proposed in our previous work, was used as the sintering regime. Using this method, Bi-2223/Ag tapes are heated to temperatures above the 2223 stability region followed by cooling at a low rate without lengthy annealing at any fixed temperature. The results indicate that, upon cooling, the liquid phase and other secondary phases produced at high temperatures react forming the Bi-2223 phase. The tapes exhibit better grain connectivity and less porosity in comparison with those prepared by the common method. The critical current density Jc and Jc-H behaviour are improved.

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RESUMOOs aços 2,25Cr-1Mo são largamente utilizados no parque de geração termelétrica no Brasil, estando em boa parte das caldeiras atualmente em operação, e podem apresentar microestrutura composta de ferritaperlita ou ferrita-bainita. Submetido à fluência, esse material tem suas propriedades degradadas em serviço através de modificações microestruturais típicas, como o coalescimento dos carbonetos originalmente presentes. A extensão das mudanças microestruturais representa, nesse caso, perda de resistência mecânica no material.Como existe uma aceleração no grau de deformação, que depende da tensão, da temperatura e do tempo, com a degradação, a extensão da deterioração microestrutural pode ser usada como uma medida de dano. Dessa forma, é importante conhecer essas modificações para fornecer suporte às técnicas de previsão de vida residual de componentes fabricados com esse tipo de material.A degradação do material ferrítico-perlítico é bastante conhecida, mas a literatura ainda não apresenta resultados consistentes quanto à do ferrítico-bainítico. Trata-se, aqui, de um estudo comparativo da evolução microestrutural do aço 2,25Cr-1Mo com as duas microestruturas, perlítica e bainítica, em temperaturas entre 550 e 600°C até 2.000 h. Os resultados mostraram que a microestrutura do aço ferrítico-bainítico é mais estável que a do ferrítico-perlítico. Entretanto, a estrutura bainítica não obedece aos mesmos estágios de degradação, identificados por Toft e Marsden utilizados para classificar a perlita.Palavras chaves: degradação microestrutural, envelhecimento, materiais para altas temperaturas, bainita. Microstructural evolution and hardness changes in bainite and pearlite in Cr1Mo 2.25 steels after aging treatment ABSTRACTThe 2.25Cr-1Mo steels are widely used in boilers currently in operation in thermal generation plants in Brazil, and can present a microstructure consisting of ferrite-pearlite or ferrite-bainite. Subjected to creep in operation, the material properties of this steel degrade due to typical microstructural changes such as the coalescence of the carbides originally present in the material. In this case, these microstructural changes reduce the mechanical strength of the material.Since strain increases with microstructural degradation and strain depends on the stress, temperature and time, the extent of microstructural degradation can be used as a damage measurement method. Thus, it is important to know the microstructural changes in the material to provide technical support for residual life prediction of components.The degradation of the ferritic-pearlitic steels is well known, but the literature does not present consistent results regarding the ferritic-bainitic steels. This is a comparative study of the microstructural evolution at temperatures between 550 and 600°C to 2,000 h of pearlitic and bainitic 2.25 Cr-1Mo steels. The results showed that the ferritic-bainitic steel is more stable than the ferritic-pearlitic. However, the bainitic structure does not present the same stages of degradation iden...

RESUMOO estudo visou a determinação das causas da falha de um isolador polimérico composto, empregado em uma linha de transmissão (LT) de 138kV. O trabalho foi desenvolvido seguindo a metodologia recomendada para análise de falhas, envolvendo caracterização metalúrgica e ensaios químicos. Foi possível, através dos ensaios realizados, identificar o mecanismo de corrosão sob tensão (CST) como o responsável pelo processo de fratura frágil sofrido pelo isolador. Este mecanismo é frequentemente associado às falhas em isoladores poliméricos compostos (resinas epóxi reforçadas com fibras de vidro ricas em boro), em presença de umidade. O isolador em questão apresentava uma série de características construtivas inadequadas que possibilitaram a penetração de umidade na terminação inferior e consequente contato com o núcleo do bastão PRV (polímero reforçado com vidro) levando à sua ruptura em serviço. Os resultados deste trabalho motivaram a substituição de todos os isoladores poliméricos com características semelhantes por parte da concessionária de energia elétrica.Palavras chaves: análise de falha, isolador polimérico, CST. Failure analysis in polymeric insulator ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to determine the cause of the failure in service of a polymeric insulator used in a 138 kV transmission line (TL). The study was conducted following the most usual recommended methodology for failure analysis, metallurgical characterization and chemicals tests. The tests identified that the mechanism of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) was responsible for the insulator´s brittle fracture. This mechanism is often associated with the existence of flaws in polymeric insulators compounds (epoxy resins reinforced with boron rich glass fibers) in the presence of moisture. The tests revealed that the design characteristics of the insulator were inappropriate because they allowed the penetration of moisture into its lower termination and subsequent contact with the GRP (glass reinforced polymer) core, leading to its disruption. These results led to the replacement of all insulators with similar characteristics by the electric power transmission utility.

2.25Cr-1Mo steels are widely used in thermoelectric power plants. Under operational temperatures, their properties degrade due to microstructural changes related to carbide coalescence and stoichiometric transformations. The extent of such microstructural changes is controlled by stress, temperature and time. Therefore, these factors can be used to evaluate damage and as life assessment tools for the individual component. In the past, ferrite-pearlite was the predominate microstructure in commercial Cr-Mo steel products, owing to the well-known methodologies for remaining life assessment based degradation. Currently, the ferrite-bainite microstructure obtained through a more economical route is most commonly used for this steel grade. However, there is no consensus in the literature about microstructural changes that can be used as a degradation pattern for ferrite-bainite steels. This paper compares the aged microstructures and creep properties of ferrite-pearlite and ferrite-bainite 2.25Cr-1Mo steels. Aging was conducted at 500, 575 and 600ºC until 2,000 h, and creep tests were performed at 575ºC under a stress of 100 MPa. Microstructural changes were characterized by optical microscopy scanning electron microscopy. Metallographic observations of the ferrite-bainite steel show a more stable behavior at the ageing temperatures and time considered. However, creep tests revealed that the ferrite-pearlite microstructure possesses a better rupture time performance. Carbide size distribution and stoichiometric evolution of the carbides provided by transmission electron microscopy support the creep behavior. These results show that the current techniques for evaluating microstructural degradation of 2.25Cr-1Mo steels must be reconsidered.

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