Magnetic sensing for microstructural assessment of power station steels: differential permeability and magnetic hysteresis

Failure of power station steel components can have severe economic impacts and also present significant risks to life and the environment. Currently components are inspected during costly shut-downs as no in-situ technique exists to monitor changes in microstructure of in-service steel components. Electromagnetic inspection has the potential to provide information on microstructure changes in power station steels in-situ. In this paper, tests have been carried out on pipe and tube samples in different microstructural conditions, using a lab-based closed magnetic circuit and impedance measurement systems. EM properties have been identified with correlations to material properties, which can quantify degradation in-situ and at elevated temperatures