Failure Analysis of a Cracked Turbine Inlet Block

S.J. Suess, P.E.*

* Stork Technimet, Inc., 2345 S. 170
th
St., New Berlin, WI 53151-2701

Steels that are subjected to certain processing conditions can become embrittled, resulting in
significant reduction in impact toughness. A Type 410 stainless steel component identified as a
turbine inlet block, which was rapidly cooled from ambient temperature to cryogenic temperatures
regularly as part of the service application, developed a crack while it was in service. It was
requested that the nature and likely cause of cracking be characterized.

The part is shown in Figure 1 along with a higher magnification view of the crack prior to and after
opening. Cracking had occurred through a relatively thin area of the part wall within a machined
radius. The opened crack exhibits features that are suggestive of relatively brittle fracture under a
single loading event. The crack appears to have initiated at the machined radius, and such areas are
known to serve as sites for stress concentration.

The chemical composition of the part was found to be consistent with the requirements for the
specified Type 410 stainless steel. The measured hardness of 34 HRC is consistent with the
quenched and tempered condition.

The opened fracture, as depicted in Figure 1, was further examined using a scanning electron
microscope (SEM). Typical areas of the fracture are shown in Figure 2, where the facets are
indicative of intergranular cracking. This type of cracking is known to occur in embrittled steel.
The areas between the facets exhibit cleavage, and this is indicative of transgranular cracking in a
brittle manner. This morphology is typically seen in steel that is fractured under impact loading, and
is considered normal. Scanning electron micrographs showing a laboratory fracture that was
produced in the material at ambient temperature under a high strain rate is also shown in Figure 2,
where similar features are evident. The intergranular fracture facets confirm that the material is in
an embrittled condition.

Metallographic evaluation of the fracture profile revealed a microstructure of tempered martensite,
as illustrated in Figure 3. This microstructure is indicative of the quenched and tempered condition.
Higher magnification study of the microstructure revealed evidence of continuous grain boundary
carbides, which are undesirable due to their brittle nature. Such carbides tend to serve as crack
propagation sites, thereby significantly reducing the fracture toughness of the material.

This evaluation revealed substantial evidence of embrittlement of the inlet due to the presence of
grain boundary carbides, and these carbides likely formed during tempering of the part. Fracture
occurred through a radiused area exhibiting a relatively thin wall under conditions of high strain
rate, likely either from impact loading or from high residual stresses that developed during rapid
cooling while the part was in service. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the heat
treating process be modified in order to avoid the formation of grain boundary carbides.
Specifically, a tempering temperature of 1,050 to 1,125 F was recommended.

References
[1] ASM International, ASM Specialty Handbook

Stainless Steels. Ohio, 1994, p. 447.

[2] ASM International, Heat Treaters Guide Practices and Procedures for Irons and Steels,
Ohio, 1995, p. 766
[3] This investigation was reviewed by Mr. Craig Brown and Dr. Suzanne Raebel of Stork
Technimet, Inc., and their assistance is gratefully acknowledged.
120
DOI: 10.1017/S1431927607072674 Copyright 2007 Microscopy Society of America
Microsc Microanal 13(Suppl 2), 2007










FIG. 1. The turbine inlet block is shown as-received (left), where cracking had occurred through the
part at the area that is indicated by the arrows. A higher magnification view of this area (center)
shows a crack through the machined radius. The opened crack (right) exhibits features that are
indicative of a relatively brittle fracture that initiated at the radiused surface (top).











FIG. 2. Scanning electron microscopic evaluation of the fracture (left, center) revealed facets that
are indicative of intergranular cracking along with cleavage between the facets. The laboratory
fracture (right) exhibits similar features.











FIG. 3. Metallographic evaluation of the fracture profile (left, center) revealed a microstructure of
tempered martensite with evidence of grain boundary carbides. The fracture origin is indicated by
the arrow (left), and exhibits some evidence of post-fracture damage. The core microstructure, as
shown under polarized light (right) consists of tempered martensite and contains continuous grain
boundary carbides.

121 Microsc Microanal 13(Suppl 2), 2007