HIGH NITROGEN CONCENTRATION IN FE-CR-NI ALLOYS

Increasing the nitrogen concentration in iron and iron alloys significantly improves their mechanical properties. A recent technique for melting in a hot-isostatic pressure furnace using nitrogen as the pressurizing gas has been developed by United States Bureau of Mines researchers for making massive nitrogen additions to iron (up to 1.6 wt pct nitrogen) and iron-chromium-nickel alloys (up to 6.6 weight percent nitrogen). The total nitrogen concentration measured at atmospheric pressure and room temperature was determined to be the equilibrium nitrogen concentration in the molten alloy. Statistical correlations were derived to explain the effects of melt pressure and alloy composition on the resulting nitrogen concentration. Nitrogen concentrations measured in solidified alloys made by high-pressure melting technique at lower pressures are consistent with previously published data. Computer generated phase diagrams for high nitrogen-chromium concentrations are also consistent with nitride microstructure observed after high-pressure melting. Extension of existing atmospheric nitrogen concentration data to higher pressure nitrogen concentrations shows Sievert's Law (nitrogen concentration is proportional to the square root of the nitrogen melt pressure) to be valid for pure iron. However. substantial deviations from Sievert's Law are observed for higher alloy compositions. Statistical fits of thermodynamic concentration data to the high-pressure melt nitrogen data require evaluating element concentration terms, interaction effect terms, pressure terms, and pressure-composition effect terms. Examination of the nitrogen concentration data suggests several methods of correlation.