• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.187-195
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• 2010

Hyper duplex stainless steels have been developed in Korea for the purpose of application to the seawater system of Korean nuclear power plants. This system supplies seawater to cooling water heat exchanger tubes, related pipes and chlorine injection system. In normal operation, seawater is supplied to heat exchanger through the exit of circulating water pump headers, and the heat exchanged sea water is extracted to the discharge pipes in circulating water system connected to the circulating water discharge lines. The high flow velocity of some part of seawater system in nuclear power plants accelerates damages of components. Therefore, high strength and high corrosion resistant steels need to be applied for this environment. Hyper duplex stainless steel (27Cr-7.0Ni-2.5Mo-3.2W-0.35N) has been newly developed in Korea and is being improved for applying to nuclear power plants. In this study, the physical & mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of newly developed materials are quantitatively evaluated in comparative to commercial stainless steels in other countries. The properties of weld & HAZ (heat affected zone) are analyzed and the best compositions are suggested. The optimum conditions in welding process are derived for ensuring the volume fraction of ferrite(${\alpha}$) and austenite(${\gamma}$) in HAZ and controlling weld cracks. For applying these materials to the seawater heat exchanger, CCT and CPT in weldments are measured. As a result of all experiments, it was found that the newly developed hyper duplex stainless steel WREMBA has higher corrosion resistance and mechanical properties than those of super austenitic stainless steels including welded area. It is expected to be a promising material for seawater systems of Korean nuclear power plants.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.209-215
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• 2010

To elucidate the effect of aging time on resistance to localized corrosion of hyper duplex stainless steel, a double-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation test a potentiodynamic anodic polarization test, a scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscope analysis, and a thermodynamic calculation were conducted. With an increase in aging time, sigma phases are precipitated much more than chi phases due to the meta-stable chi phase acting as a transition phase. As aging time at $850^{\circ}C$ increases, the corrosion resistance decreases owing to an increase in Cr, Mo and W depleted areas adjacent to the intermetallic phases such as sigma phases and chi phases.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.48-55
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• 2014

Influence of annealing temperature on the microstructure and resistance to pitting corrosion of the hyper duplex stainless steel was investigated in acid and neutral chloride environments. The pitting corrosion resistance is strongly dependent on the microstructure, especially the presence of chromium nitrides ($Cr_2N$), elemental partitioning behavior and volume fraction of ferrite phase and austenite phase. Precipitation of deleterious chromium nitrides reduces the resistance to pitting corrosion due to the formation of Cr-depleted zone. The difference of PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) values between the ferrite and austenite phases was the smallest when solution heat-treated at $1060^{\circ}C$. Based on the results of electrochemical tests and critical crevice temperature tests, the optimal annealing temperature is determined as $1060^{\circ}C$.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.70-80
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• 2014

Duplex stainless steels with nearly equal fraction of the ferrite(${\alpha}$) phase and austenite(${\gamma}$) phase have been increasingly used for various applications such as power plants, desalination facilities due to their high resistance to corrosion, good weldability, and excellent mechanical properties. Hyper duplex stainless steel (HDSS) is defined as the future duplex stainless steel with a pitting resistance equivalent (PRE=wt.%Cr+3.3(wt.%Mo+0.5wt.%W)+30wt.%N) of above 50. However, when HDSS is welded with gas tungsten arc (GTA), incorporation of nitrogen in the Ar shielding gas are very important because the volume fraction of ${\alpha}$-phase and ${\gamma}$-phase is changed and harmful secondary phases can be formed in the welded zone. In other words, the balance of corrosion resistance between two phases and reduction of $Cr_2N$ are the key points of this study. The primary results of this study are as follows. The addition of $N_2$ to the Ar shielding gas provides phase balance under weld-cooling conditions and increases the transformation temperature of the ${\alpha}$-phase to ${\gamma}$-phase, increasing the fraction of ${\gamma}$-phase as well as decreasing the precipitation of $Cr_2N$. In the anodic polarization test, the addition of nitrogen gas in the Ar shielding gas improved values of the electrochemical parameters, compared to the Pure Ar. Also, in the erosion-corrosion test, the HDSS welded with shielding gas containing $N_2$ decreased the weight loss, compared to HDSS welded with the Ar pure gas. This result showed the resistance of erosion-corrosion was increased due to increasing the fraction of ${\gamma}$-phase and the stability of passive film according to the addition $N_2$ gas to the Ar shielding gas. As a result, the addition of nitrogen gas to the shielding gas improved the resistance of erosion-corrosion.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.504-511
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• 2011

The alkaline earth metal Ba has a relatively low melting point. Because of its significantly high affinity to oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, it is highly functional as a steel refining agent. But Ba can adversely affect the properties of steel especially the workability, because it can form a variety of inclusions. So, understanding of these inclusions is needed for improvement of the properties of steel. Thus a fundamental study in the formation behavior of non-metallic inclusions in Ba added Hyper Duplex STS melts was investigated. The amount of Ba, holding time and temperature were considered as experimental variables. The number of non-metallic inclusions decreased and the large particle size of non-metallic inclusions increased as the amount of Ba increased. The number of non-metallic inclusions also decreased and the large particle size increased with increased holding times and temperatures of molten steel.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.311-319
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• 2010

Rare earth metal Ce has a relatively low melting point and high specific gravity. Because of its significantly high affinity to oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, it is highly usable as a steel refining agent. However, because Ce compound has relatively high specific gravity, it is difficult to be separated from molten steel through floatation, and it degrades the purity of molten steel, or may clog the nozzle in continuous casting. Such problem may be solved by using an appropriate deoxidation agent together with Ce and settling molten steel sufficiently after refining. Thus a fundamental study in the formation behavior of non-metallic inclusion in Ce added Hyper Duplex STS melts was investigated. The addition amount of Ce, melt temperature were considered as experimental variables. A main non-metallic inclusion in mother alloy is 51(wt%MnO) - 27.6(wt%SiO$_2$)- 10.9(wt%$Cr_2O_3$). Non-metallic inclusion was dramatically decreased and the particle size was fined as the amount of Ce increased. Moreover (%MnO) and (%SiO$_2$) of non-metallic inclusion were decreased. But (%$Al_2O_3$)were relatively increased. The number of non-metallic inclusion were decreased and the large particle size were increased by increasing the temperature of molten steel.