Anisotropic Tensile Properties of a 14YWT Nanostructured Ferritic Alloy: On the Role of Cleavage Fracture

Two plates of nanostructured ferritic alloy NFA-1 were processed by ball milling atomized Fe-14Cr-3W-0.4Ti-0.2Y (wt.%) with FeO powders, canning, and hot-extrusion at 850 °C, followed by annealing and multipass cross-rolling at 1000 °C. This produces a severe (001) brittle cleavage texture on planes running parallel to the plate faces. In the first plate (P1), pre-existing microcracks (MCs) formed on the cleavage planes during cross-rolling. The second plate (P2) contained far fewer, if any, MCs. Here, we compare the tensile data for out-of-plane (S) and in-plane (L) tensile axis orientations, at temperatures from −196 °C to 800 °C. We also assess the tensile property differences between P1 and P2, and the effect of specimen size. The L-orientation strength and ductility were excellent; for example, the room temperature (RT) yield stress, σy ≈ 1042 ± 102 MPa, and the total elongation, εt ≈ 12.9 ± 1.5%. In contrast, the S-orientation RT σy ≈ 708 ± 57 MPa, and εt ≤ 0.2%. These differences were due to cleavage on the brittle (001) planes. Cleavage leads to beneficial delamination toughening, but is deleterious to deformation processing and through-wall heat transfer. Therefore, it is important to quantitatively characterize the pronounced NFA-1 strength anisotropy due to severe crystallographic texturing and cleavage fracture.