Revealing microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of directly tempered a newly developed RAFM steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion.

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Title: Revealing microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of directly tempered a newly developed RAFM steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion.
Authors: Liang, Xin1 (AUTHOR), Chai, Linjiang1 (AUTHOR) chailinjiang@cqut.edu.cn, Li, Jincheng1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Zhichen1 (AUTHOR), Yang, Yimeng1 (AUTHOR), Niu, Ying1 (AUTHOR), Zhao, Xiaotong1 (AUTHOR), Wu, Yu1,2 (AUTHOR) abrahamwy@126.com, Tan, Xiaolian2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Materials Science & Engineering: A. Jul2026, Vol. 965, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Microstructure, Tempering, Powder bed fusion, Ferritic steel, Tensile strength, Mechanical behavior of materials, Carbides
Abstract: Reduced activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steel, owing to its excellent in-reactor performance, is regarded as one of the most promising candidate structural materials for future advanced reactors. Given the structural complexity of specific in-reactor components, additive manufacturing technologies with near-net-shape capabilities have been increasingly applied to the fabrication of RAFM steel. In this work, a cylindrical component of newly developed RAFM steel was fabricated using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and subsequently subjected to direct tempering at 700-800 °C. Multiple characterization techniques were jointly employed to analyze the microstructures and mechanical properties before and after the heat treatments, thereby elucidating how specific microstructural features affect the material's tensile strength and hardness. The as-printed microstructure is comprised of fine martensitic laths with a high dislocation density, coarse blocky ferrite and a small amount of retained austenite, along with a few dispersed precipitate particles (Cr 23 C 6 and (Ta, V)C). After tempering, the retained austenite disappears, the dislocation density considerably decreases, and many carbides appear along ferritic grain and martensitic lath boundaries. The as-printed specimen exhibits a tensile strength of 1331.1 MPa and an elongation of 12.8%, demonstrating favorable strength-ductility balance; after tempering, the tensile strength decreases with the ductility essentially maintained. Analyses reveal that the superior strength of the LPBFed specimen jointly originates from grain boundary strengthening, dislocation strengthening, solid-solution strengthening, and hetero-deformation strengthening induced by structural heterogeneity; after tempering, the strength reduction primarily results from weakened dislocation and solid-solution strengthening because of the decreased dislocation density and the precipitation of solute elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Materials Science & Engineering: A is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Revealing microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of directly tempered a newly developed RAFM steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion.
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  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liang%2C+Xin%22">Liang, Xin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chai%2C+Linjiang%22">Chai, Linjiang</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> chailinjiang@cqut.edu.cn</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Jincheng%22">Li, Jincheng</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Zhichen%22">Wang, Zhichen</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yang%2C+Yimeng%22">Yang, Yimeng</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Niu%2C+Ying%22">Niu, Ying</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhao%2C+Xiaotong%22">Zhao, Xiaotong</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wu%2C+Yu%22">Wu, Yu</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> abrahamwy@126.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tan%2C+Xiaolian%22">Tan, Xiaolian</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Materials+Science+%26+Engineering%3A+A%22">Materials Science & Engineering: A</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 965, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Microstructure%22">Microstructure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tempering%22">Tempering</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Powder+bed+fusion%22">Powder bed fusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ferritic+steel%22">Ferritic steel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tensile+strength%22">Tensile strength</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mechanical+behavior+of+materials%22">Mechanical behavior of materials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Carbides%22">Carbides</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Reduced activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steel, owing to its excellent in-reactor performance, is regarded as one of the most promising candidate structural materials for future advanced reactors. Given the structural complexity of specific in-reactor components, additive manufacturing technologies with near-net-shape capabilities have been increasingly applied to the fabrication of RAFM steel. In this work, a cylindrical component of newly developed RAFM steel was fabricated using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and subsequently subjected to direct tempering at 700-800 °C. Multiple characterization techniques were jointly employed to analyze the microstructures and mechanical properties before and after the heat treatments, thereby elucidating how specific microstructural features affect the material's tensile strength and hardness. The as-printed microstructure is comprised of fine martensitic laths with a high dislocation density, coarse blocky ferrite and a small amount of retained austenite, along with a few dispersed precipitate particles (Cr 23 C 6 and (Ta, V)C). After tempering, the retained austenite disappears, the dislocation density considerably decreases, and many carbides appear along ferritic grain and martensitic lath boundaries. The as-printed specimen exhibits a tensile strength of 1331.1 MPa and an elongation of 12.8%, demonstrating favorable strength-ductility balance; after tempering, the tensile strength decreases with the ductility essentially maintained. Analyses reveal that the superior strength of the LPBFed specimen jointly originates from grain boundary strengthening, dislocation strengthening, solid-solution strengthening, and hetero-deformation strengthening induced by structural heterogeneity; after tempering, the strength reduction primarily results from weakened dislocation and solid-solution strengthening because of the decreased dislocation density and the precipitation of solute elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Materials Science & Engineering: A is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.msea.2026.150315
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 1
        StartPage: N.PAG
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Microstructure
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tempering
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Powder bed fusion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ferritic steel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tensile strength
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mechanical behavior of materials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Carbides
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Revealing microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of directly tempered a newly developed RAFM steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion.
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            NameFull: Liang, Xin
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            NameFull: Chai, Linjiang
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            NameFull: Li, Jincheng
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            NameFull: Yang, Yimeng
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            – D: 15
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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