• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.77-84
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• 2008

Based upon the good compatibility to neutron irradiation and high temperature water environment, austenitic stainless steels are widely used for core internal structural materials of light water reactors. But, recently, intergranular cracking was detected in the stainless steels for the core applications in some commercial PWR plants. Authors studied on the root cause of the intergranular cracking and developed the countermeasure including the alternative materials for these core applications. The intergranular cracking in these core applications are defined as an irradiation assisted mechanical cracking and irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking. In this paper, the root cause of the intergranular cracking and its countermeasure are summarized and discussed.

• 열처리공학회지
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• 제10권4호
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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.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.82-87
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• 2003

Stress corrosion cracking of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 has been studied with a C-ring specimen in 1%, 10% and 40% NaOH at $315^{\circ}C$. SCC test was performed at 200 mV above corrosion potential. Initial stress on the apex of C-ring specimen was varied from 300 MPa to 565 MPa. Materials were heat treated at various temperatures. SCC resistance of Ni-$_\chi$Cr-10Fe alloy increased as the Cr content of the alloy increased if the density of an intergranular carbide were comparable. SCC resistance of Alloy 600 increased in caustic solution as the product of coverage of an intergranular carbide in grain boundary, intergranular carbide thickness and Cr concentration at grain boundary increased. Low temperature mill annealed Alloy 600 with small grain size and without intergranular carbide was most susceptible to SCC. TT Alloy 690 was most resistant to SCC due to the high value of the product of coverage of an intergranular carbide in grain boundary, intergranular carbide thickness and Cr concentration at grain boundary. Dependency of SCC rate on stress and NaOH concentration was obtained.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.350-359
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• 2004

Stress corrosion cracking(SCC) characteristics of shot-peened stainless steel containing Ti (0.09 wt%-0.92 wt%) fabricated by the vacuum furnace were investigated using SCC tester and potentiostat. The homogenization and the sensitization treatment were carried out at $1050^{\circ}C$ for 1hr and $650^{\circ}C$ for 5 hr. The samples for SCC were shot-peened using $\Phi$0.6 mm steel ball for 4 min and 10 min. Intergranular and pitting corrosion characteristics were investigated by using EPR and CPPT. SCC test was carried out at the condition of$ 288^{\circ}C$, 90 kgf pressure, water with 8 ppm dissolved oxygen, and $8.3xl0^{-7}$/s strain rate. After the corrosion and see test, the surface of the tested specimen was observed by the optical microscope, TEM and SEM. Specimen with Ti/C ratio of 6.14 showed high tensile strength at the sensitization treatment. The tensile strength decreased with the increase of the Ti/C ratio. Pitting and intergranular corrosion resistance increased with the increase of Ti/C ratio. Stress corrosion cracking strength of shot-peened specimen was higher than that of non shot- peened specimen. Stress corrosion cracking strength decreased with the increase of the Ti/C ratio.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제7권3호
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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.

• 대한용접접합학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한용접접합학회 1998년도 특별강연 및 추계학술발표 개요집
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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.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.183-192
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• 2018

스테인리스강은 오스테니틱 스테인리스강, 페리틱 스테인리스강과 마르텐시틱 스테인리스강으로 대별할 수 있으며, 이 고도의 안전성이 요구되는 산업계에서 스테인리스강의 입계부식, 응력부식균열과 핏팅과 같은 국부적 부식이 발생하면 대형사고로 귀결될 수 있다. 스테인리스강의 입계부식 기구와 대책 그리고 입계부식측정 방법에 대한 기술 소개를 하여 산업현장에서 흔히 접하는 스테인리스강 예민화에 대한 길잡이가 되도록 하고, 이 분야를 전문적으로 연구하려는 연구자에게 예민화 전반을 이해하는데 활용되도록 하였다.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제15권5호
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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.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제14권6호
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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.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권12호
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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.