Caterpillar Inc.

Tim McGreevy

Philip J Maziasz

Michael James Pollard

Robert W Swindeman

Chad W Siebenaler

A CF8C type stainless steel alloy and articles formed therefrom containing about 18.0 weight percent to about 22.0 weight percent chromium and 11.0 weight percent to about 14.0 weight percent nickel; from about 0.05 weight percent to about 0.15 weight percent carbon; from about 2.0 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent manganese; and from about 0.3 weight percent to about 1.5 weight percent niobium. The present alloys further include less than 0.15 weight percent sulfur which provides high temperature strength both in the matrix and at the grain boundaries without reducing ductility due to cracking along boundaries with continuous or nearly-continuous carbides. The disclosed alloys also have increased nitrogen solubility thereby enhancing strength at all temperatures because nitride precipitates or nitrogen porosity during casting are not observed. The solubility of nitrogen is dramatically enhanced by the presence of manganese, which also retains or improves the solubility of carbon thereby providing additional solid solution strengthening due to the presence of manganese and nitrogen, and combined carbon.

Heat and corrosion resistant cast CF8C stainless steel with improved high temperature strength and ductility

A cast stainless steel alloy and articles formed therefrom containing about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % manganese, 0.02 wt. % to 0.50 wt. % N, and less than 0.15 wt. % sulfur provides high temperature strength both in the matrix and at the grain boundaries without reducing ductility due to cracking along boundaries with continuous or nearly-continuous carbides. Alloys of the present invention also have increased nitrogen solubility thereby enhancing strength at all temperatures because nitride precipitates or nitrogen porosity during casting are not observed. The solubility of nitrogen is dramatically enhanced by the presence of manganese, which also retains or improves the solubility of carbon thereby providing additional solid solution strengthening due to the presence of manganese and nitrogen, and combined carbon. Such solution strengthening enhances the high temperature precipitation-strengthening benefits of fine dispersions of NbC. Such solid solution effects also enhance the stability of the austenite matrix from resistance to excess sigma phase or chrome carbide formation at higher service temperatures. The presence of sulfides is substantially eliminated.

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Morton, IL, United States of America

Tim McGreevy