• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.225-232
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• 2008

To understand the effect of the cyclic strain rate on the environmentally assisted cracking behaviors of SA508 Gr.1a low alloy steel in deoxygenated water at $310^{\circ}C$, the fatigue surface and a sectioned area of specimens were observed after low cycle fatigue tests. On the fatigue surface of the specimen tested at a strain rate of 0.008 %/s, unclear ductile striations and a blunt crack tip were observed. Therefore, metal dissolution could be the main cracking mechanism of the material at this strain rate. On the other hand, on the fatigue surfaces of the specimens tested at strain rates of 0.04 and 0.4 %/s, brittle cracks and flat facets, which are evidences of the hydrogen induced cracking, were observed. In addition, a tendency of linkage between the main crack and the micro-cracks was observed on the sectioned area. Therefore, at higher strain rates, the main cracking mechanism could be hydrogen induced cracking. Additionally, evidence of the dissolved MnS inclusions was observed on the fatigue surface from energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer analyses. Thus, despite the low sulfur content of the test material, the sulfides seem to contribute to environmentally assisted cracking of SA508 Gr.1a low alloy steel in deoxygenated water at $310^{\circ}C$.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.153-158
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• 2016

Light metal alloys of Mg, Ti, and Al undergo environmentally assisted cracking (EAC). Passive film breakdown and pitting are not only precursor events for stress corrosion, but can accelerate hydrogen evolution that is responsible for hydrogen embrittlement. This is clearly demonstrated in the case of Mg and Ti alloys. The so-called innocuous precipitates, which do not directly participate in either alloy strengthening or EAC can be effective precursors for initiating EAC. This aspect is highlighted using high strength aluminium alloys. Such behaviours lead to a paradigm shift in the design of alloys with resistance to EAC.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.237-242
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• 2008

Physical properties of water, such as dielectric constant and ionic product, significantly vary with the density of water. In the supercritical conditions, since density of water widely varies with pressure, pressure has a strong influence on physical properties of water. Dielectric constant represents a character of water as a solvent, which determines solubility of an inorganic compound including metal oxides. Dissociation equilibrium of an acid is also strongly dependent on water density. Dissociation constant of acid rises with increased density of water, resulting in drop of pH. Density of water and the density-related physical properties of water, therefore, are the major governing factors of corrosion and environmentally assisted cracking of metals in supercritical aqueous solutions. This paper discusses importance of "physical properties of water" in understanding corrosion and cracking behavior of alloys in supercritical water environments, based on experimental data and estimated solubility of metal oxides. It has been pointed out that the water density can have significant effects on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of metals in supercritical water, when dissolution of metal plays the key role in the cracking phenomena.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1998년도 춘계학술발표회논문집(2)
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• pp.154-159
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• 1998

In order to assess the susceptibility of the environmentally assisted cracking(EAC) on SA508 Cl.3 steel in primary water condition, potential step test and slow strain rate test(SSRT) were conducted in a simulated crack tip condition. In this test, anodic dissolution was dominant in the crack tip environments. Proposed simple dissolution model is a modification of Hishida's anodic dissolution model at the plastic zone. One can predict actual crack growth rate with the smooth specimen through this model.

• 부식과 방식
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.30-38
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• 2013

원전의 구조적 건전성에 문제가 될 수 있는, 오스테나이트계 합금의 환경조장균열(EAC)에 대한 거동을 실험적인 결과와 문헌 조사를 통해 분석하였다. 일차측 환경에서 주기적인 반복하중을 받을 때에는 기계적인 피로균열에 더해 수소유기균열이나 동적변형시효 등으로 인한 가속화 메커니즘을 통해 피로수명 감소가 나타났다. 따라서 EAF에 대한 저항성은 전반적인 부식저항성이 우수한 니켈기합금이 스테인리스강보다 크게 나타났다. 그러나 일정한 하중을 받을 때에는 내부산화에 의해 국부적인 취약부인 입계로의 빠른 균열의 생성과 진전이 나타나 일차수 응력부식균열(PWSCC)이라는 형태로 발생한다고 여겨진다. 이때는 니켈-크롬의 비율이 내부산화 저항성에 영향을 미쳐, 비율이 낮은 스테인리스강은 높은 저항성을 가지고, 비율이 높은 니켈기합금은 낮은 저항성을 가진다. 그러나 아직 이러한 균열 메커니즘에 대한 명확한 이해가 부족하므로, 명확히 규명하기 위해서는 추가적인 연구가 필요하다.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.156-162
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• 2000

Sensitized STS 304 stainless steel crack growth rate(CGR) in high temperature water was investigated under trapezoidal wave loading test using fracture mechanics techniques. The CGR, due to stress corrosion cracking(SCC), were systematically measured as a function of the stress intensity factor and stress. holding time under trapezoidal wave loading. In high temperature water, CGR was enhanced by a synergistic effects in combination with an aggressive environment and mechanical damage. The CGR, $(da/dN)_{env}$ was basically described as a summation of the environmentally assisted crack growth rate $(da/dN)_{SCC}$, $(da/dN)_{CF}$ and fatigue crack growth rate in air $(da/dN)air,. The CGR, $(da/dN)_{env}$, increased linearly with increasing stress holding time. The CGR, $(da/dN)_{SCC}$ decreased linearly with increasing stress holding time. Fracture surface mode varied from trans-granular cracking to inter-granular cracking with increasing stress holding time.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.19-30
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• 2017

Austenitic Stainless Steels (ASSs) are widely used as structural materials in the pressurized water reactors (PWRs) because of their superior mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, it is well known that ASSs are susceptible to the environmental assisted cracking (EAC) such as environmental assisted fatigue (EAF) during the long term operation. There have been extensive tests and researches to understand the extent and the mechanisms of environmental effects. In this paper, the world-wide EAF test results of ASSs are introduced including those of Korean test programs. The suggested EAF mechanisms of ASSs are also discussed. Finally, the areas of further research to resolve the issue of EAF are suggested.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.170-176
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• 2007

Iodine-induced stress corrosion cracking (ISCC) properties and the associated ISCC process of Zircaloy-4 and an Nb-containing advanced nuclear fuel cladding were evaluated. An internal pressurization test with a pre-cracked specimen was performed with a stress-relieved (SR) or recrystallized (RX) microstructure at $350^{\circ}C$, in an iodine environment. The results showed that the $K_{ISCC}$ of the SR and RX Zircaloy-4 claddings were 3.3 and 4.8MPa\;m^{0.5}, respectively. And the crack propagation rate of the RX Zircaloy-4 was 10 times lower than that of the SR one. The chemical effect of iodine on the crack propagation rate was very high, which was increased $10^4$ times by iodine addition. Main factor affecting on the micro-crack nucleation was a pitting formation and its agglomeration along the grain boundary. However, this pitting formation on the grain-boundary was suppressed in the case of an Nb addition, which resulted in an increase of the ISCC resistance when compared to Zircaloy-4. Crack initiation and propagation mechanisms of fuel claddings were proposed by a grain boundary pitting model and a pitting assisted slip cleavage model and they showed reasonable results.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.93-97
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• 2003

Fatigue crack growth test or low alloy steel was performed in high temperature water. Test parameters were dissolved oxygen content. loading frequency and R-ratio ($P_{min}/P_{max}$). Since the sulfur content or the steel was low, there were no environmentally assisted cracks (EAC) in low dissolved oxygen(DO) water. At high DO, the crack growth rate at R = 0.5 tests was much increased due to environmental effects and the crack growth rate depended on loading frequency and maximized at a critical frequency. On the other hand, R = 0.7 test results showed an anomalous decrease of the crack growth rate as much different behavior from the R = 0.5. The main reason of the decrease may be related to the crack tip closure effect. All the data could be qualitatively understood by effects of oxide rupture and anion activity at crack tip.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.271-280
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• 2016

An approach to achieving the ambitious goal of cost effectively extending the safe operation life of energy pipeline to 100 years is the application of health monitoring and life prediction tools that are able to provide both long-term remnant pipeline life prediction and in-situ pipeline condition monitoring. A critical step is the enhancement of technological capabilities that are required for understanding and quantifying the effects of key factors influencing buried steel pipeline corrosion and environmentally assisted materials degradation, and the development of condition monitoring technologies that are able to provide in-situ monitoring and site-specific warning of pipeline damage. This paper provides an overview of our current research aimed at developing new sensors and electrochemical cells for monitoring, categorising and quantifying the level and nature of external pipeline and coating damages under the combined effects of various inter-related variables and processes such as localised corrosion, coating cracking and disbondment, cathodic shielding, transit loss of cathodic protection.