• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 1993

The potentiostatic etching dissolution method, which had been used for the quantification of precipitates in steel, was applied to investigate the origin of cracks occurred in 304 stainless steel during processing. The morphology of crack propagation was observed by SEM. EDS and EPMA were used for the analysis of chemical composition of large precipitates on the grain boundary. The crystal structure of these large precipitates was determined by X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction. In both a stainless steel plate and a wire, the crack propagated along the grain boundary. Large precipitates on the grain boundary were identified to be $M_2C$ and $M_{23}C_6$. Potentiostatic etching dissolution method was found to be appropriate to the sample preparation for the analysis of precipitates in stainless steel.