• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.219-231
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• 1997

Inconel alloys used as nuclear power plant components have experienced intergranular stress corrosion cracking problems inspite of their good corrosion characteristics. In order to investigate the effects of heat treatments on carbide precipitation and intergranular stress corrosion cracking(IGSCC) in Inconel alloys, DSC(Differential Scanning Calorimeter), TEM, EDXS and static potential corrosion tests were carried out. Thermal treatment at $750^{\circ}C$ for 15hours in Inconel alloys increased the density of intergranular carbide. The carbides are mainly $Cr_7C_3$ in Inconel 600, and $Cr_{23}C_6$ in Inconel 690. The Cr depletion around grain boundary is not crucial factor on IGSCC. The carbides in grain boundary play an important role as acting dislocation source, and as decreasing stress around growing crack.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.102-114
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• 2015

Background: A technique developed to produce artificial intergranular stress corrosion cracks in structural components was applied to thick, forged alloy 600 base and alloy 182 weld metals for use in the qualification of nondestructive examination techniques for welded components in nuclear power plants. Methods: An externally controlled procedure was demonstrated to produce intergranular stress corrosion cracks that are comparable to service-induced cracks in both the base and weld metals. During the process of crack generation, an online direct current potential drop method using array probes was used to measure and monitor the sizes and shapes of the cracks. Results: A microstructural characterization of the produced cracks revealed realistic conformation of the crack faces unlike those in machined notches produced by an electrodischarge machine or simple fatigue loading using a universal testing machine. Conclusion: A comparison with a destructive metallographic examination showed that the characteristics, orientations, and sizes of the intergranular cracks produced in this study are highly reproducible.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.7
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• pp.934-938
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• 2015

This technical note provides some considerations for the metallographic observation of intergranular attack (IGA) in Alloy 600 steam generator tubes. The IGA region was crazed along the grain boundaries through a deformation by an applied stress. The direction and extent of the crazing depended on those of the applied stress. It was found that an IGA defect can be misevaluated as a stress corrosion crack. Therefore, special caution should be taken during the destructive examination of the pulled-out tubes from operating steam generators.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.141-150
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• 2012

Stress corrosion cracks in Alloy 600 compact tension specimens tested at $325^{\circ}C$ in a simulated primary water environment of pressurized water reactor were analyzed by analytical transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). From a fine-probe chemical analysis, oxygen was found on the grain boundary just ahead of the crack tip, and chromium oxides were precipitated on the crack tip and the grain boundary attacked by the oxygen diffusion, leaving a Cr/Fe depletion (or Ni enrichment) zone. The oxide layer inside the crack was revealed to consist of a double (inner and outer) layer. Chromium oxides existed in the inner layer, with NiO and (Ni,Cr) spinels in the outer layer. From the nano-SIMS analysis, oxygen was detected at the locations of intergranular chromium carbides ahead of the crack tip, which means that oxygen diffused into the grain boundary and oxidized the surfaces of the chromium carbides. The intergranular chromium carbide blunted the crack tip, thereby suppressing the crack propagation.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.288-291
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• 1998

Inconel 600 alloy is used as the material of nuclear steam generator tubing because of its mechanical properties, formability, and corrosion properties. According to reports, the life time of nuclear power plants decreases because of the pitting, intergranular attack, primary water stress corrosion cracking(PWSCC), and intergranular stress corrosion cracking(IGSCC), and denting in the steam generator. The SCC test is very important because of SCC appears in various environment such as solutions, materials, and stress. The C-Rig specimen was made of the steam generator welded sleeve repairing by the pulsed Nd:YAG laser. In the corrosion invironment, corrosion solutions are Primary Water, Caustic, and Sulfate solution and corrosion time is 1624-4877hr. The permitted stress is 30-60ksi.In this C-Ring SCC test is the relationship between corrosion depth, crack and corrosion environment is evaluated. SCC was happens in Sulfate and Corrosion solution but doesn't happen in Primary Water. The corrosion time and stress is very affected by the severely environment of Sulfate or Caustic solution. The microstructure observation indicates that SCC causes interganular failure in the grain boundary of vertical direction.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4481-4490
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• 2022

In this study, a new rupture disk corrosion test (RDCT) method was developed for real-time detection of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) initiation of Alloy 600 in a primary water environment of pressurized water reactors. In the RDCT method, one side of a disk specimen was exposed to a simulated primary water at high temperature and pressure while the other side was maintained at ambient pressure, inducing a dome-shaped deformation and tensile stress on the specimen. When SCC occurs in the primary water environment, it leads to the specimen rupture or water leakage through the specimen, which can be detected in real-time using a pressure gauge. The tensile stress applied to the disk specimen was calculated using a finite element analysis. The tensile stress was calculated to increase as the specimen thickness decreased. The SCC initiation time of the specimen was evaluated by the RDCT method, from which result it was found that the crack initiation time decreased with the decrease of specimen thickness owing to the increase of applied stress. After the SCC initiation test, many cracks were observed on the specimen surface in an intergranular fracture mode, which is a typical characteristic of SCC in the primary water environment.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 1987

Corrosion fatigue fracture of dual phase steel(SS41) and raw material steel(SS41) were investigated in 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution at PH 4,6,9 and 11. The fatigue limit of dual phase steel is increased approximately 1.8 times larger than that of raw material in air. The corrosion fatigue life of dual phase steel is about 5-10 times larger than that of raw material in 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution. The reduction of fatigue life is larger for the acidsalt solution than for the alkali salt solution. The reduction of stress level on the reduction ratio of corrosion fatigue life is large as pH 6-11. The reduction ratio of corrosion fatigue life of dual phase steel and raw material is nearly coincided at pH 2. While at pH4-2 the reduction ratio of corrosion fatigue life only depends on the corrosion effect. It has been found that the corrosion resistance effect of dual phase steel is smaller than that of raw material in corrosion fatigue crack propagation rate. As pH below 6 is changed, it can be clearly observed from raw material that the brittle intergranular fracture is characterized, and from the above result, the influence of corrosion of dual phase steel is small.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.187-191
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• 2008

Transgranular stress corrosion cracking of nickel base alloys was reported by Copson and Dean in 1965. Study to establish this cracking mechanism needs to be carried out. Laboratory stress corrosion tests were performed for mill annealed(MA) or thermally treated(TT) steam generator tubing materials in a high temperature water containing lead. An electrochemical interaction of lead with the alloying elements of SG tubings was also investigated. Alloy 690 TT showed a transgranular stress corrosion cracking in a 40% NaOH solution with 5000 ppm of lead, while intergranular stress corrosion racking was observed in a 10% NaOH solution with 100 ppm lead. Lead seems to enhance the disruption of passive film and anodic dissolution of alloy 600 and alloy 690. Crack tip blunting at grain boundary carbides plays a role for the transgranular stress corrosion cracking.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.94-100
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• 1988

Recently with the rapid development in marine and shipbuilding industries such as marine structures, ship, and chemical plants, there occurs much interest in the study of corrosion fatigue characteristics was closed up an important role in mechanical design. In this study, the 5086 Al-Alloy was tested by used of a rotary bending fatigue tester and was investigated under the environments of various specific resistance and air. The specific resistance, as a corrosion environment, was changed 15, 20, 25 and 5000$\Omega$.cm. The corrosion fatigue crack initiation sensitivity was quantitatively inspected for 5086 Al-Alloy in the various specific resistance. The experimental constants of Paris rule were examined in the various specific resistances, and the influences of load and corrosion with affect the crack growth rate were compared with. Main results obtained are as follows: (1) Number of stress cycles to corrosion fatigue crack initiation delaies and corrosion fatigue crack initiation sensitivity decreases with the increasing for the specific resistance. (2) The experimental constant m of Paris rule decreases with the decreasing for specific resistance. Hence the effect of corrosion is more susceptible than that of stress intensity factor. (3) The corrosion fatigue crack of 5086 Aluminium Alloy appears intergranular fracture. (4) Corrosion sensitivity is decreased with the increasing stress intensity factor and is nearly uniform when stress intensity factor is over 40kg.mm super(-3/2)

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.266-277
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• 2024

Due to its good corrosion and heat resistance with excellent mechanical properties, 304L stainless steel is commonly used in the fabrication of spent nuclear fuel dry storage canisters. However, welds are sensitive to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) due to residual stress generation. Although SCC resistance can be improved by stress relieving the weld and changing the chloride environment, it is difficult to change corrosion environment for certain applications. Stress control in the weld can improve SCC resistance. Ultrasonic shot peening (USP) needs further research as compressive residual stresses and microstructure changes due to plastic deformation may play a role in improving SCC resistance. In this study, 304L stainless steel was welded to generate residual stresses and exposed to a chloride environment after USP treatment to improve SCC properties. Effects of USP on SCC resistance and crack growth of specimens with compressive residual stresses generated more than 1 mm from the surface were studied. In addition, correlations of compressive residual stress, grain size, intergranular corrosion properties, and pitting potential with crack propagation rate were determined and the improvement of SCC properties by USP was analyzed.