Evaluation of Degraded Materials by Automated Ball Indentation(ABI) Technique

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As huge energy transfer systems like a nuclear power plant, steam power plant and petrochemical plant are operated for a long time, mechanical properties are changed by degradation. The life time of the systems can be affected by the mechanical properties. So determination of the integrity of the metallic structure is required either to en4sure that failure will not occur during the service life of the components or to evaluate the lifetime extension of the structure. An automated ball indentation(ABI) method was developed as a non-destructive technique for evaluating the integrity of such metallic components. In this paper, we would like to present the aging evaluation technique by the ABI method. The five classes of the thermally aged CF8M specimens were prepared using an artificially accelerated aging method. After holding 100, 300, 900, 1800 and 3600 hours at 43$0^{\circ}C$, the specimens were cooled down using water to room temperature respectively. The tensile test, hardness test, charpy impact test, ABI test were performed. The results of the fracture test were compared with those of ABI test and the new evaluation technique of the integrity of metallic structures was developed.