• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.102-112
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• 2013

A very high-temperature gas reactor (VHTR) is one of the next generation nuclear reactors owing to its safety, high energy efficiency, and proliferation-resistance. Heat is transferred from the primary helium loop to the secondary helium loop through an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX). Under VHTR environment Alloy 617 is being considered a candidate Ni-based superalloy for the IHX of a VHTR, owing to its good creep resistance, phase stability and corrosion resistance at high temperature. In this study, high-temperature corrosion tests were carried out at 850 - $950^{\circ}C$ in air and impure helium environments. Alloy 617 specimens showed a parabolic oxidation behavior for all temperatures and environments. The activation energy for oxidation was 154 kJ/mol in helium environment, and 261 kJ/mol in an air environment. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results revealed that there were a Cr-rich surface oxide layer, Al-rich internal oxides and depletion of grain boundary carbide after corrosion test. The thickness and depths of degraded layers also showed a parabolic relationship with the time. A corrosion rate of $950^{\circ}C$ in impure helium was higher than that in an air environment, caused by difference in the outer oxide morphology.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.178-185
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• 2014

Alloy 617 is considered as a candidate Ni-based superalloy for the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of a very high-temperature gas reactor (VHTR) because of its good creep strength and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. Helium is used as a coolant in a VHTR owing to its high thermal conductivity, inertness, and low neutron absorption. However, helium inevitably includes impurities that create an imbalance in the surface reactivity at the interface of the coolant and the exposed materials. As the Alloy 617 has been exposed to high temperatures at $950^{\circ}C$ in the impure helium environment of a VHTR, the degradation of material is accelerated and mechanical properties decreased. The high-temperature strength, creep, and corrosion properties of the structural material for an IHX are highly important to maintain the integrity in a harsh environment for a 60 year period. Therefore, an alloy superior to alloy 617 should be developed. In this study, the mechanical and high-temperature corrosion properties for Ni-Cr alloys fabricated in the laboratory were evaluated as a function of the grain boundary strengthening and alloying elements. The ductility increased and decreased by increasing the amount of Mo and Cr, respectively. Surface oxide was detached during the corrosion test, when Al was not added to alloy. However the alloy with Al showed improved oxide adhesive property without significant degradation and mechanical property. Aluminum seems to act as an anti-corrosive role in the Ni-based alloy.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.64-69
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• 2012

Laser welding was carried out on austenitic 304 (STS 304) and 22 APU stainless steels. In this case, the differences between the corrosion characteristics of the welding zones of the two stainless steels were investigated using electrochemical methods. The Vickers hardness values of the weld metal (WM) zones in both cases, the STS 304 and 22 APU stainless steels, showed relatively higher values than those of other welding zones. The corrosion current densities of the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the 22 APU and the base metal (BM) zone of the STS 304 exhibited the highest values compared to the other welding zones. It is generally accepted that when STS 304 stainless steel is welded using a general welding method, intergranular corrosion is often observed at the grain boundary because of its chromium depletion area. However, when laser welding was performed on both the STS 304 and 22 APU stainless steels, no intergranular corrosion was observed at any of the welding zones. Consequently, it is considered that the intergranular corrosion of stainless steel can be controlled with the application of laser welding.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.109-114
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• 2020

The photo-reflectance of aluminum and AISI 304 stainless steel during cyclic immersion test in 3 wt% NaCl solution was examined in this study. Overall, corrosion was not recognized by a visual inspection or weight measurement up to 310 h. When evaluated, it was noted that the roughness of the specimens did not change significantly. However, localized corrosion, which is located at the vicinity of intermetallic precipitation of aluminum or at the grain boundary of stainless steel, was confirmed by the use of an optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy after tens of hours of utilizing the corrosion test. In this respect, an increase of the peak intensity for metallic Al after 90 h of test, and for metallic Fe after 153 h was detected from the X-ray photoelectron spectra. In this context, it was shown that from the photo-reflectance spectra, the reflection of the visible light from the tested samples was changed noticeably over the test duration. As a result, the intensity of reflected light was decreased up to 90 h ~ 153 h, and thereafter was shown to increase higher than the initial intensity before the corrosion test.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2004

The effect of low tempering in a temperature range of $150{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ on corrosion resistance in 420J2 stainless steel austenitized at $1000^{\circ}C$ was investigated by the application of salt spray test, electrochemical pitting test in 3.5% NaCl solution and DL-EPR test for intergranular corrosion in 0.5M $H_2SO_4$+0.01M KSCN solution. In salt spray test, good corrosion resistance was obtained in a tempering temperature range of $150{\sim}250^{\circ}C$. Pitting potential was increased to the tempering temperature of $250^{\circ}C$, but decreased with the increase of temperature up to $400^{\circ}C$ And it was thought that the degradation of pitting corrosion resistance showed at the tempering temperature of around $400^{\circ}C$ was due to the precipitation of $Cr_7C_3$ of $M_7C_3$ type. The degree of sensitization showed increasing tendency with the increase of tempering temperature, and also Cr depletion phenomena were observed in the vicinity of grain boundary.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.103-111
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• 2007

The effect of stress factors on the growing process of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the sensitized 18-8 stainless steel in high temperature water was investigated using equations of crack growth rate derived from applying electric circuits to SCC corrosion paths. Three kinds of cross sections have to be considered when electric circuit is constructed using total current. The first is ion flow passage area, $S_{sol}$, of solution in crack, the second is total dissolving surface area, $S_{dis}$, of metal on electrode of crack tip and the third is dissolving cross section, $S_{met}$, of metal on grain boundary or in base metal or in welding metal. Stress may affect each area. $S_{sol}$ may depend on applied stress, $\sigma_{\infty}$, related with crack depth. $S_{dis}$ is expressed using a factor of $\varepsilon(K)$ and may depend on stress intensity factor, K only. SCC crack growth rate is ordinarily estimated using a variable of K only as stress factor. However it may be expected that SCC crack growth rate depends on both applied stress $\sigma_{\infty}$ and K or both crack depth and K from this consideration.$\varepsilon(K)$ is expressed as ${\varepsilon}(K)=h_2{\cdot}K^2+h_3{\cdot}K^3$ when $h_{2}$ and $h_{3}$ are coefficients. Also, relationships between SCC crack growth rate, da/dt and K were simulated and compared with the literature data of JBWR-VIP-04, NRC NUREG-0313 Rev.2 and SKIFS Draft. It was pointed out in CT test that the difference of distance between a point of application of force and the end of starter notch (starting point of fatigue crack) may be important to estimate SCC crack growth rate. An anode dissolution current density was quantitatively evaluated using a derived equation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.236-242
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• 1989

In order to investigate the effects of hot corrosion on the creep rupture properties and creep life of 304 stainless steel being used as tube materials of heavy oil fired boiler, the creep rupture tests were carried out at temperature 630.deg.C, 690.deg.C and 750.deg.C in static air for the specimens with or without coating of double layer corrosives according to the new hot corrosion test method simulating the situation commonly observed on superheater tubes of the actual boiler. The double layer corrosives are 85% V$_{2}$O$_{5}$ + 10% Na$_{2}$So$_{4}$ + 5% Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ as the inner layer corrosive being once melted at 900.deg. C and crushed to powder, and 10% V$_{2}$O$_{5}$ + 85% Na$_{2}$SO$_{4}$ +5% Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ as the outer layer corrosive. As results, in the specimen coated with the double layer corrosives, the rupture strength was extremely lowered and showed a large difference each other. The rupture ductility also lowered remarkably as a result of the brittle fracture mode due to hot corrosion. These results indicate that hot corrosion could essentially alter the creep fracture mechanism. From the metallographic observation, it was clarified that the rupture life of 304 stainless steel subjected to hot corrosion was chiefly determined by the behavior of the aggressive intergranular penetration of sulfides.des.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2014

Recently, the fuel oil of diesel engines of marine ships has been increasingly changed to heavy oil of low quality as the oil price is getting higher and higher. Therefore, the spiral gear attached at the motor of the oil purifier which plays an important role to purify the heavy oil is also easy to expose at severe environmental condition due to the purification of the heavy oil in higher temperature. Thus, the material of the spiral gear requires a better mechanical strength, wear and corrosion resistance. In this study, the heat treatment(tempering) with various holding time at temperature of $500^{\circ}C$ was carried out to the alloy of Cu-7Al-2.5Si as centrifugal casting, and the properties of both hardness and corrosion resistance with and without heat treatment were investigated with observation of the microstructure and with electrochemical methods, such as measurement of corrosion potential, cathodic and anodic polarization curves, cyclic voltammogram, and a.c. impedance. in natural seawater solution. The ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}^{\prime}$ and ${\gamma}_2$ phases were observed in the material in spite of no heat treatment due to quenching effect of a spin mold. However, their phases, that is, ${\beta}^{\prime}$ and ${\gamma}_2$ phases decreased gradually with increasing the holding time at a constant temperature of $500^{\circ}C$. The hardness more or less decreased with heat treatment, however its corrosion resistance was improved with the heat treatment. Furthermore, the longer holding time, the better corrosion resistance. In addition, when the holding time was 48hrs, its corrosion current density showed the lowest value. The pattern of corroded surface was nearly similar to that of the pitting corrosion, and this morphology was greatly observed in the case of no heat treatment. It is considered that ${\gamma}_2$ phase at the grain boundary was corroded preferentially as an anode. However, the pattern of general corrosion exhibited increasingly due to decreasing the ${\gamma}_2$ phase with heat treatment. Consequently, it is suggested that the corrosion resistance of Cu-7Al-2.5Si alloy can be improved with the heat treatment as a holding time for 48 hrs at $500^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.12
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• pp.819-827
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• 2009

This work is concerned with a statistical analysis of factors affecting the irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of austenitic stainless steels for core internals of pressurized water reactors (PWR). The microstructural and environmental factors were reviewed and critically evaluated by the statistical analysis. The Cr depletion at grain boundary was determined to have no significant correlation with the IASCC susceptibility. The threshold irradiation fluence of IASCC in a PWR was statistically calculated to decrease from 5.799 to 1.914 DPA with increase of temperature from 320 to $340^{\circ}C$. From the analysis of the relationship between applied stress and time-to-failure of stainless steel components based on an accelerated life testing model, it was found that B2 life of a baffle former bolt exposed to neutron fluence of 20 and 75 DPA was at least 2.5 and 0.4 year, respectively, within 95% confidence interval.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.776-783
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• 2002

Austenitic stainless steel (STS304) has been carburized using glow discharge plasma and its microstructure, wear resistance and corrosion property have been investigated. A repeat boost-diffuse carburizing was used as an effective plasma carburizing method. The effective case depth of the plasma carburized specimens was increased with the carbon concentration at the surface area. The specimens prepared by 3 hours plasma carburizing under $600^{\circ}C$ did not have the standard hardness for the effective case depth, but the specimen prepared by 11 hours plasma carburizing at $500^{\circ}C$ had nearly the same hardness with the specimen plasma carburized for 3 hours at $800^{\circ}C$. The wear resistance increased with temperature but the corrosion properties of the specimens prepared over $600^{\circ}C$ decreased rapidly due to the grain boundary sensitization. However, the specimen plasma carburized for 11 hours at $500^{\circ}C$ had nearly the same wear resistance with the specimen plasma carburized for 3 hours at $800^{\circ}C$ without deterioration of corrosion property. This could be resulted from the fact that the microstructure of the specimen plasma carburized for 11 hours at $500^{\circ}C$ was composed of martensite and austenite, because a partial martensite transformation was occurred only in the specimen plasma carburized for 11 hours at 50$0^{\circ}C$.