• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.226-236
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• 2016

316L stainless steels have been widely used in many engineering fields, because of their high corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. However, welding or aging treatment may induce intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking etc. Since these types of corrosion are closely related to the formation of chromium carbide in grain boundaries, the alloys are controlled by methods such as the lowering of carbon content, solution heat treatment. This work focused on the intergranular corrosion mechanism of slightly-sensitized and Ultrasonic Nano-crystal Surface Modification (UNSM)-treated 316L stainless steel. Samples were sensitized for 1, 5, and 48 hours at $650^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ gas atmosphere. Subsequently UNSM treatments were carried out on the surface of the samples. The results were discussed on the basis of the sensitization by chromium carbide and carbon segregation, the residual stress and grain refinement. Even though chromium carbide was not precipitated, the intergranular corrosion rate of 316L stainless steel was drastically increased with aging time, and it was confirmed that the increased intergranular corrosion rate of slightly-sensitized (not carbide formed) 316L stainless steel was due to the carbon segregation along the grain boundaries. However, UNSM treatment improved the intergranular corrosion resistance of aged stainless steels, and its improvement was due to the reduction of carbon segregation and the grain refinement of the outer surface, including the introduction of compressive residual stress.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.612-618
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• 2000

The WC/WC grain boundary structure and intergranular segregation in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in order to elucidate whether contiguous boundaries were present or not at the atomic level. Some grain boundaries were separated by liquid phase, while others were contiguous at the atomic level. Cobalt was found to be segregated to WC/WC grain boundaries in WC-Co. Cobalt and vanadium were co-segregated to grain boundaries in WC-VC-Co. The segregation width in both materials was about 6 nm. These results suggest that the vanadium present in contiguous boundaries acts as an effective barrier to the migration of boundaries during sintering and annealing. This could explain the grain growth inhibiting mechanism of VC added to WC-Co.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.305-316
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• 2017

Austenitic stainless steels have been widely used for various systems of nuclear power plants. Among these stainless steels, small pipes with diameter less than 14 inch have been produced in the form of seamless pipe. Annealing and cooling process during the manufacturing process can affect corrosion properties of seamless stainless steels. Therefore, 12 inch-diameter of as-received 304L stainless steel pipe was annealed and aged in this study. Intergranular corrosion resistance was evaluated by ASTM A262 Practice A, C, and E methods. The degree of sensitization was determined using a DL-EPR test. U-bend method in an autoclave was used to evaluate the SCC resistance in 0.01 M $Na_2S_4O_6$ or 40% NaOH solution at $340^{\circ}C$. As-received specimen showed relatively high degree of sensitization and intergranular corrosion rate. Carbon segregation was also observed near grain boundaries. Annealing treatment could give the dissolution of segregated carbon into the matrix. Aging treatment could induce segregation of carbon and finally form carbides. Microstructural analysis confirmed that high intergranular corrosion rate of the as-received seamless pipe was due to micro-galvanic corrosion between carbon segregation and grains.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.313-324
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• 2015

Austenitic stainless steels have been widely used in many engineering fields because of their high corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. However, welding or aging treatment may induce intergranular corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, pitting, etc. Since these types of corrosion are closely related to the formation of chromium carbide in grain boundaries, the alloys are controlled using methods such as lowering the carbon content, solution heat treatment, alloying of stabilization elements, and grain boundary engineering. This work focused on the effects of aging and UNSM (Ultrasonic Nano-crystal Surface Modification) on the intergranular corrosion of commercial 316L stainless steel and the results are discussed on the basis of the sensitization by chromium carbide formation and carbon segregation, residual stress, grain refinement, and grain boundary engineering.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.183-192
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• 2018

Stainless steel can be classified into three categories depending on the microstructure as austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel and martensitic stainless steel. Generally, stainless steel is extremely resistant to corrosion as the name implies. However, under specific environments, susceptibility to localized corrosion such as pitting, intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking increases. This paper reviewed the state of arts on intergranular corrosion mechanisms, countermeasures on intergranular corrosion and intergranular corrosion test methods. Intergranular corrosion is mostly related with chromium depletion at the grain boundary and sometimes with segregation of electroactive elements in solution annealed stainless steel. Countermeasures on intergranular corrosion include avoiding chromium depletion by heat treatment and the addition of alloying elements. Sensitization evaluation of stainless steel was performed either through acid immersion test or electrochemical test. The methods were standardized in (Japanese Industrial Standards). Even though are useful in evaluating the degree of sensitization for industrial purpose but do not provide detailed information about sensitization mechanism, cause and chromium profile.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.230-241
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• 2022

Austenitic stainless steel has been widely used because of its good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. However, intergranular corrosion can occur if the alloy is welded or aged. The objective of this study was to determine intergranular corrosion behaviors of austenitic medium carbon (0.05 wt%) and low carbon (0.02 wt%) stainless steel aged at several conditions. Alloys were evaluated according to ASTM A262 Practice A, ISO 12732 DL-EPR (double loop-electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation) test, and ASTM A262 Practice C. The degree of sensitization and intergranular corrosion rate were obtained. The relationship between the degree of sensitization and the intergranular corrosion rate showed a very large fluctuation. Such behavior might be related to whether two-dimension tests or three-dimension tests were performed. On the other hand, regardless of carbon content of alloys, when the intergranular corrosion rate increased, the degree of sensitization also increased. However, the DL-EPR test showed a higher sensitivity than the Huey test for differentiating the intergranular corrosion property at a low intergranular corrosion rate, while the Huey test had a higher sensitivity than the DL-EPR test for distinguishing the intergranular corrosion property at a high intergranular corrosion rate.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.3 no.4 s.9
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• pp.7-14
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• 2000

This paper provides integrity evaluation and root cause analysis for defects observed at volute tongue, or cutwater, of the operating centrifugal pump in power plant. The cause of the cracks are analyzed and reviewed from the viewpoint of the operation and maintenance of the pumps, and the sample obtained from the cracked volute tongue of the pump are examined. At first, in-situ hardness test and microstructure examination were performed to understand the cause of cracking at volute tongue. The evaluation of structural integrity and the possibility of the crack propagation is also evaluated. Cracks were typical intergranular cracking and propagated along with prior austenite grain boundary. At easing volute tongue, the hardness was higher than ASTM requirement and a large amount of intergranular Cr carbide was precipitated. These were due to high C content in material. P content was also higher than ASTM requirement. Therefore, Cr carbide precipitation and P segregation at grain boundary, caused by higher C and P content in material, resulted in intergranular cracking of casing volute tongue. This procedure for integrity evaluation and root cause analysis is used to guide, and support the pump designer and manufacturer's material selection and process design to avoid a costly, unplanned outage of plant.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.89-95
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• 1995

Effect of boron on corrosion resistance of Type 304 stainless steel has been studied. Boron tends to segregate at the grain boundaries during cooling after solution treatment, and so boron treated steel usually exhibits a ditch structure under the 10% oxalic acid test. However, it was found that the addition of 25 ppm boron in Type 304 steel has no effect on the general and pitting corrosion resistance while it has a little effect on the intergranular corrosion resistance.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.377-379
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• 2005

This study has been conducted to clarify the effect of sulfur content and welding thermal cycles on reheat cracking susceptibility in the multi-pass weld metal of Fe-36%Ni alloy. Reheat cracking occurred in the preceding weld pass reheated by subsequent passes. Microscopic observations showed that reheat cracking propagated along grain boundaries which resulted in intergranular brittle fractures. The region where reheat cracking occurred and the number of cracks increased with the increase in sulfur content of the alloys. These experimental results suggested that reheat cracking was associated with the embrittlement of grain boundaries, which was promoted by sulfur and subsequent welding thermal cycles. AES analysis indicated that the sulfur segregation occurred at grain boundaries in the reheated weld metal. On the basis of these results, the cause of reheat cracking in multi-pass welding can be attributed to hot ductility loss of weld metals due to sulfur segregation which was accelerated by the reheating with multi-pass welding thermal cycles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.306-310
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• 1992

Effects of hafnium, boron and zirconium on the ductility of Ni$_3$(Al, Fe) intermetallic compounds were studied using tensile test and SIMS analysis. Ni$_3$(Al, Fe) alloy with 0.1 at.% Hf, 0.05 at.% B and 0.1 at.% Zr additions showed maximum elongations of about 30% at 300K, 10% at 300K and 14% at 473K, respectively. The fracture mode of the alloy without the additive was the mixture of intergranular and transgranular fractures, but the addition of Hf, Zr or B changed the fracture mode to transgranular only. SIMS analysis showed that the beneficial effects of Hf, Zr or B segregation on the grain boundary strength are consistent with the grain boundary cohesion theory.