Abstract
Abstract
The microstructural evolution of S30432 heat‐resistant steel during creep at 650 °C and its effect on the change in hardness was investigated. The change of hardness during creep of S30432 at 650 °C can be divided into three stages. These are related to the precipitation and coarsening of ε‐Cu and M23C6 carbides, decrease in the number of twins and increase in grain size. The precipitation of ε‐Cu dominantly contributes to the significant hardening at stage I, and the coarsening of ε‐Cu is the key factor to decrease the hardness at stage II. At stage III, the hardness hardly changes since the microstructure of S30432 tends to be stable in the long‐term creep range.