A-203 TEMPER EMBRITTLEMENT A-203.1 Definition.

Temper embrittlement is a metallurgical

phenomenon that can occur in several different classes of steel, including plain carbon steels, low alloy
steels, and martensitic steels, in which the toughness of the material drops significantly when subjected
to prolonged exposure to temperatures within what would be considered a normal range for either heat
treatment or service. When testing for embrittlement is carried out by use of the Charpy V-notch test,
the embrittlement manifests itself as an upward shift in the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature.
The mechanisms of embrittlement vary somewhat with the type of steel involved, but in the application
of materials for Code construction, the more significant embrittlement is that which occurs in some low
alloy steels during long-time exposure in the temperature range of 650°F to 1,100°F. Temper
embrittlement can occur either during fabrication or during prolonged exposure in the embrittling
temperature range during service. For the low alloy steels, the embrittling mechanism has been shown
to involve the preferential segregation of certain residual and surface-active elements to the grain
boundaries. Elements that are believed to be particularly harmful include phosphorous, arsenic,
antimony, and tin, with other elements, such as manganese, silicon, chromium, nickel, and vanadium,
playing a lesser role in the embrittlement process by facilitating the action of the more-harmful
elements. The embrittled material is most vulnerable during equipment startups and shutdowns, during
which times it is most likely to fracture in a brittle manner when rapidly loaded at temperatures within
or below the transition temperature range. One of the most commonly used low alloy steels, 21 /4Cr–
1Mo, is also one of the most susceptible steels, with 3Cr–1Mo being slightly less susceptible.
Highstrength low alloy (HSLA) chromium–molybdenum– vanadium steels are also susceptible to temper
embrittlement. Steels of an older vintage (prior to approximately 1972) and those steels produced
without the advantage of modern clean steel technologies also tend to be more susceptible to the
embrittlement, due to the higher levels of impurities. Various methods have been devised for controlling
the susceptibility to temper embrittlement through control of chemical composition, with the use of the
J and X factors having achieved a fairly broad range of acceptance. Through use of these factors, the
amounts of the most deleterious elements are limited to levels known to confer a high degree of
resistance to temper embrittlement. These factors are defined as follows: In addition to material
composition, postweld heat treatment procedures should be carefully selected and/ or qualified to
avoid temper embrittlement before exposing the material to service conditions. The effects of temper
embrittlement can be reversed by heating the affected material to a minimum temperature of 1,150°F
and holding for 2 hr per inch of thickness, followed by rapid cooling to room temperature. However, the
material will quickly re-embrittle if it is reexposed to the conditions that caused the embrittlement in the
first place. A-203.2 References. In addition to the general references cited in A-120, see the following
references for additional details: [1] API RP 934, Materials and Fabrication Requirements for 21 /4Cr-
1Mo and 3Cr-1Mo Steel Heavy Wall Pressure Vessels for High Temperature,