Effect of quenching and tempering process on sulfide stress cracking susceptibility in API-5CT-C110 casing steel

Three quenching and tempering processes performed on API-5CT-C110 casing steel produced tempered martensite structures and similar mechanical properties but distinct sulfide stress cracking (SSC) behavior as evaluated by Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) testing. An as-quenched specimen tempered at 690°C for two hours showed superior SSC behavior compared to another specimen tempered at 715°C for one hour. The latter contained a larger fraction of low-angle boundaries (LABs) and higher values of kernel average misorientation (KAM) than those in the former. Moreover, one more quenching and tempering on the former specimen would produce better SSC resistance with a decrease in the fraction of LABs and the values of KAM. Since dislocations trap hydrogen more strongly than grain boundaries, the specimen with higher KAM values, as well as higher dislocation density, would trap more hydrogen atoms and lead to greater SSC.