Creep Resistant Steels

Creep-resistant steels are widely used in the petroleum, chemical and power generation industries. Creep-resistant steels must be reliable over very long periods of time at high temperatures and in severe environments. Understanding and improving long-term creep strength is essential for safe operation of plant and equipment. This book provides an authoritative summary of key research in this important area. The first part of the book describes the specifications and manufacture of creep-resistant steels. Part two covers the behaviour of creep-resistant steels and methods for strengthening them. The final group of chapters analyses applications in such areas as turbines and nuclear reactors. With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Creep-resistant steels is a valuable reference for the power generation, petrochemical and other industries which use high strength steels at elevated temperatures. Describes the specifications and manufacture of creep-resistant steels Strengthening methods are discussed in detail Different applications are analysed including turbines and nuclear reactors

A comprehensive guide to avoiding hydrogen cracking which serves as an essential problem-solver for anyone involved in the welding of ferritic steels. The authors provide a lucid and thorough explanation of the theoretical background to the subject but the main emphasis throughout is firmly on practice.

With China becoming a major force in steel research and development, this book highlights the work of a group from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by the first four authors. This group has the ideal knowledge base for writing this updated book on heat-resistant steels. The fifth author, Sha, based in the UK, has been collaborating with the Chinese group since 2009 and is the lead or sole author of four research books, all published in English. The last book, “Steels: from materials science to structural engineering,” was published by Springer in 2013. Within two months of its publication, researchers at the University of Science and Technology Liaoning had requested translation of the book into Chinese. Springer obliged, and the Chinese version was published by the Metallurgical Industry Press, Beijing, in August 2014. Sha has organized and completed the writing of the proposed book, though the main research was done in China.

Stainless steel is still one of the fastest growing materials. Today, the austenitic stainless steel with the classic composition of 18% Cr and 8% Ni (grade 304L) is still the most widely used by far in the world. The unique characteristic of stainless steel arises from three main factors. The versatility results from high corrosion resistance, excellent low- and high-temperature properties, high toughness, formability, and weldability. The long life of stainless steels has been proven in service in a wide range of environments, together with low maintenance costs compared to other highly alloyed metallic materials. The retained value of stainless steel results from the high intrinsic value and easy recycling. Stainless steel, especially of austenitic microstructure, plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development nowadays, so it is also important for further generations.