• 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.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.145-150
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• 1996

Acoustic Emission (AE) technique was applied to stress corrosion cracking of Inconel 600 to investigate the AE capability of detecting crack growth and to obtain the relation between AE characteristics and crack mechanism. The specimens were heat-treated in two conditions (600$^{\circ}C$ for 30 hrs or 700 $^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr) and undergone CERT at two extension rates ( 2.5${\times}$10$^{-5}$ or 1.25${\times}$10$^{－4}$(mm/s)). It was found that the AE peak amplitude from plastic deformation was generally smaller than about 48dB (0.25mV), while Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and ductile fracture produced higher values of 49 to 70dB (0.3mV to 3mV). The slopes of cumulative amplitude distribution (b-values) were linearly dependent on IGSCC susceptibility and the higher the susceptibility, the smaller the b-value. The monitoring of combined AE parameters such as event rate, amplitude, count and energy can provide effective means to clearly identify the transition from crack initiation and small crack growth to rapid growth of dominant cracks.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.111-116
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• 1996

IGSCC(Intergranular stress corrosion cracking) behaviors of Alloy 600 were studied by the electrchemical ten methods of controlling specimens electrode potentials in the active-passive transition region of anodic polarization curve. Anodic polarization and static potential tests of stressed C-ring type MA Alloy 600 were carried out in 10% NaOH at 300 $^{\circ}C$ for 7days. It was confirmed that IGSCC of Alloy 600 was accellerated by maintaining the specimen potential in the susceptible active-passive transition region of anodic polarization curve. An intergranular crack was initiated on the surface area of C-ring specimens where protective oxide layer was broken down. And the depth of the crack growth was about 100 ${\mu}$m during the testing periods.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.1381-1389
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• 2019

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) widely found in both primary and secondary sides of steam generator (SG) tubing in pressurized water reactors (PWR) has become an important safety issue. Using eddy-current tests (ECTs), non-destructive evaluations are performed for the integrity management of SG tubes against intergranular SCC. To enhance the reliability of ECT, this study investigates the effects of oxide films on ECT's detection capabilities for SCC in laboratory-degraded SG tubing in high temperature and high pressure aqueous environment.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.174-183
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• 1996

Acoustic emission(AE) response during stress corrosion cracking(SCC) of Inconel 600 alloy has been monitored to study the AE detectability of crack generation and growth by comparing the crack behavior with AE parameters processed, and to evaluate the applicability as a nondestructive evaluation(AE) by measuring the minimum crack size detectable with AE. Variously heat-treated specimens were tensioned by constant extension rate test(CERT) in various extension rate to give rise to the different SCC behavior of specimens. The AE amplitude level generated from intergranular stress-corrosion cracking(IGSCC) is higher than those from ductile fracture and mechanical deformation, which means the AE amplitude can be a significant parameter for distinguishing the An source. AE can also provide the effective means to identify the transition from the small crack initiation and formation of dominant cracks to the dominant crack growth. Minimum crack size detectable with AE is supposed to be approximately 200 to $400{\mu}m$ in length and below $100{\mu}m$ in depth. The test results show that AE technique has a capability for detecting the early stage of IGSCC growth and the potential for practical application as a NDE.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3183-3193
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• 2023

The water radiolysis in-core at light water reactors (LWRs) produces various radicals with other ionic species/molecules and radioactive nitrogen species in the reactor coolant. Nitrogen species can exist in many different chemical forms and recirculate in water and steam, and consequently contribute to what extent the environmental safety at nuclear power plants. Therefore, a clear understanding of formation kinetics and chemical behaviors of nitrogen species under irradiation is crucial for better insight into the characteristics of major radioactive species released to the main steam or relevant coolant systems and eventually development of advanced processes/methodologies to enhance the environmental safety at nuclear power plants. This paper thus focuses on basic principles on electrochemical interaction kinetics of radiolytic molecules and various nitrogen species in high temperature water, fundamental approaches for calculating thermodynamic values to predict their stability and domain in LWRs, and the effect of nitrogen species on crevice chemistry/corrosion and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) susceptibility of structure materials in high temperature water.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.210-229
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• 2021

To safely operate domestic nuclear power plants approaching the end of their design life, the material degradation management strategy of the components is important. Among studies conducted to improve the soundness of nuclear reactor components, research methods for understanding the degradation of reactor internals and preparing management strategies were surveyed. Since the IGSCC (Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking) initiation and propagation process is associated with metal dissolution at the crack tip, crack initiation sensitivity was decreased in the hydrogenated water with decreased crack sensitivity but occurrence of small surface cracks increased. A stress of 50 to 55% of the yield strength of the irradiated materials was required to cause IASCC (Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking) failure at the end of the reactor operating life. In the threshold-stress analysis, IASCC cracks were not expected to occur until the end of life at a stress of less than 62% of the investigated yield strength, and the IASCC critical dose was determined to be 4 dpa (Displacement Per Atom). The stainless steel surface oxide was composed of an internal Cr-rich spinel oxide and an external Fe and Ni-rich oxide, regardless of the dose and applied strain level.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.316-321
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• 2007

The effect of annealing on the pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Mg alloy (AA5052) processed by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) was investigated by electrochemical techniques in a solution containing 0.2 mol/L of $AlCl_3$ and also by surface analysis. The Al-Mg alloy was annealed at a fixed temperature between 473 and 573 K for 120 min in air after ECAP. Anodizing was conducted for 40 min at $100-400A/m^2$ at 293 K in a solution containing 1.53 mol/L of $H_2SO_4$ and 0.0185 mol/L of $Al_2(SO_4)_3$. The internal stress generated in anodic oxide films during anodization was measured with a strain gauge to clarify the effect of ECAP on the pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Mg alloy. The time required to initiate the pitting corrosion of anodized Al-Mg alloy was shorter in samples subjected to ECAP, indicating that ECAP decreased the pitting corrosion resistance. However, the pitting corrosion resistance was greatly improved by annealing after ECAP. The time required to initiate pitting corrosion increased with increasing annealing temperature. The strain gauge attached to Al-Mg alloy revealed that the internal stress present in the anodic oxide films was compressive stress, and that the stress was larger with ECAP than without. The compressive internal stress gradually decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Scanning electron microscopy showed that cracks occurred in the anodic oxide film on Al-Mg alloy during initial corrosion and that the cracks were larger with ECAP than without. The ECAP process of severe plastic deformation produces large internal stresses in the Al-Mg alloy; the stresses remain in the anodic oxide films, increasingthe likelihood of cracks. It is assumed that the pitting corrosion is promoted by these cracks as a result of the higher internal stress resulting from ECAP. The improvement in the pitting corrosion resistance of anodized AlMg alloy as a result of annealing appears to be attributable to a decrease in the internal stresses in anodic oxide films

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2015

Steam generator(S/G) tubes in pressurized water reactor (PWR's) are subject to several types of degradation. This degradation includes denting, pitting, intergranular attack(IGA), intergranular stress corrosion cracking(IGSCC), fatigue, fretting and wear. Degradation can be derived from either the primary side(inside) or the secondary side(outside) of the tube. Recent issue for tube degradation in domestic steam generator is the tube end cracking on seal weld region. The seal weld region at the tube end and tube itself is regarded as a pressure boundary between the primary side and the secondary side. One of the Westinghouse Model-F S/G has experienced tube end cracking and its number of plugging approximately becomes to the operating limit up to 5% due to tube end cracking which was reported as SAI/MAI(single/multiple axial indication) or SCI/MCI(Single/multiple circumferential indication) from the results of eddy current testing. Eddy current mock-up test was carried out to determine the origin of cracking whether it is from weld zone area or parent tube. This result was helpful to analyze crack location on ECT data. Correct action on this problem was the installation of tube-end sleeve. Last year, after removing 340 installed plugs from tubes, selected 269 tubes took tube-end sleeve installation. Tube-end sleeve brought pressure boundary from parent tube to installed sleeve tube. Tube-end sleeve has the benefit of reducing outage period and increasing more revenue than replacing S/G. This paper is provided to assist interest parties in effectively understanding this issue.