Root cause of embrittlement of in-service exposed high pressure steam pipeline

A segment of tube cut off from the high pressure steam pipeline was subjected to routine basic material tests, which resulted in very low impact energy of the pipe material (low-alloyed Cr steel). A part of the segment (and a comparative non-operated sample) was then subjected to detailed mechanical tests (including creep), metallographic investigations and fractographic analyses with an aim to determine a root cause of the embrittlement. The results showed that grain boundaries of exposed steel are covered by particles of primary and secondary cementite. However, a matrix is weakened more, therefore a fracture of creep, tensile and impact specimens is always transgranular and the cleavage facets are limited to grain size, if present. Thus, the cause of embrittlement was determined not by a rapid ageing, but by an unsuitable initial heat treatment of the pipe material.