Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 March 2015
Periodically arrayed rows of fine Fe2Hf Laves phase particles were found to form in 9Cr ferritic steel. Microstructural observation demonstrates that the particles were formed on cooling through the interphase precipitation on the phase transformation from the δ ferrite to the γ austenite along the eutectoid transformation route of δ → γ+Fe2Hf and subsequently a phase transformation from the austenite to the α ferrite took place. This eutectoid route is expected to be effectively used for improving the long term creep strength of ferritic steels with Laves phase.