In Situ Tensile Deformation and Residual Stress Measurement by Neutron Diffraction in Modified 9Cr-1Mo Steel

The deformation behavior of monolithic modified 9Cr-1Mo (Grade 91) steel during uniaxial tensile loading was studied using the in situ neutron diffraction technique. The residual stress distribution across gas tungsten arc welds in the Grade 91 steel was measured by the time-of-flight neutron diffraction method using the SMARTS diffractometer at Lujan Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory. Grade 91 plates were welded using the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) technique. The load sharing by different grain orientations was observed during the tensile loading. The residual stresses along three orthogonal directions were determined at the mid-thickness, 4.35 and 2.35 mm below the surface of both the as-welded and post-weld heat-treated plates. The residual stresses of the as-welded plates were compared with those of the post-weld heat-treated plates. The post-weld heat treatment significantly reduced the residual stress level in the base metal, the heat-affected zone, and the weld zone. Vickers microhardness across the weld zone of the as-welded and post-weld heat-treated specimens was evaluated and correlated with the observed residual stress profile and microstructure.