Stress Corrosion Cracking of Nitrogen-containing Stainless Steel 316LN in High Temperature Water Environments

Stress corrosion cracking （SCC） of stainless steels and Ni-based alloys in high temperature water coolant is one of the key problems affecting the safe operation of nuclear power plants （NPPs）. The nitrogen-added stainless steel is a kind of possible candidate materials for mitigating SCC since reducing the carbon content and adding nitrogen to offset the loss in strength caused by the decrease in carbon content can mitigate the problem of sensitization. However, the reports of SCC of nitrogen-added stainless steels in high temperature water are few available. The effects of applied potential and sensitization treatment on the SCC of a newly developed nitrogen-containing stainless steel （SS） 316LN in high temperature water doped with chloride at 250 ℃ were studied by using slow strain rate tests （SSRTs）. The SSRT results are compared with our data previously published for 316 SS without nitrogen and 304NG SS with nitrogen, and the possible mechanism affecting the SCC behaviors of the studied steels is also discussed based on SSRT and microstucture analysis results. The susceptibility to cracking of 316LN SS normally increases with increasing potential. The susceptibility to SCC of 316LN SS was less than that of 316 SS and 304NG SS. Sensitization treatment at 700℃ for 30 h showed little effect on the S CC of 316LN S S and significant effect on the S CC of 316 S S. The predominant cracking mode for the 316LN S S in both annealed state and the state after the sensitization treatment was transgranular. The presented conditions of mitigating stress corrosion cracking are some useful information for the safe use of 316LN SS in NPPs.

Effect of deteriorated microstructures on stress corrosion cracking of X70 pipeline steel in acidic soil environment

In order to investigate stress corrosion cracking （SCC） of X70 pipeline steel and its weld joint area in acidic soil environ- ment in China, two simulating methods were used： one was to obtain bad microstructures in heat affected zone by annealing at 1300 ℃ for 10 min and then, quenching in water; the other was to get different simulating solutions of acidic soil in Yingtan in south- east China. The SCC susceptibilities of X70 pipeline steel before and after quenching in the simulating solutions were analyzed using slow stain rate test （SSRT） and potentiodynamic polarization technique to investigate the SCC electrochemical mechanism of different microstructures further. The results show that SCC appears in the original microstructure and the quenched microstructure as the polarization potential decreases. Hydrogen revolution accelerates SCC of the two tested materials within the range of-850 mV to -1200 mV vs. SCE. Microstructural hardening and grain coarsening also increase SCC. The SCC mechanisms are different, anodic dissolution is the key of causing SCC as the polarization potential is higher than the null current potential, and hydrogen embrittlement will play a more important role to SCC as the polarization potential lower than the null current potential.

SCC of X70 and Its Deteriorated Microstructure in Simulated Acid Soil Environment

In order to study the stress corrosion cracking （SCC） of X70 pipeline steel and its weld joint in acid soil environment of southeast of China, two simulating methods were used here. The one was to obtain the bad microstructures in heat affected zone by annealing at 1300℃ for 10 min and air cooling to room temperature, the other was to get a series of simulating solutions of the acid soil environment. SCC susceptibilities of X70 pipeline steels＇before and after being normalized in the simulated solutions were studied by slow strain rate test （SSRT） and microstructural observation of fracture areas. Potentiodynamic polarization curves were used to study the electrochemical behaviour of different microstructures. SCC does occur to both the as-received material and normalized microstructure after heat treatment as the polarization potential decreased. Hydrogen embrittlement （HE） is indicated occurring to all tested materials at -850 mV （vs SCE） and -1200 mV（vs SCE）. The SCC mechanisms are different within varying potential range. Anodic dissolution is the key cause as polarization potential higher than null current potential, and HE will play a more important role as polarization potential lower than the null current potential.

Crack Propagation in Pipelines Under Extreme Conditions of Near-Neutral PH SCC

Stress Corrosion Cracking(SCC)process through which cracks occur in a variety of susceptible materials is a result of a combination of residual or applied stresses and corrosion.In oil and gas field,buried pipeline steels are made of low-alloy steels with a ferritic-pearlitic structure,such as X70.In dilute solutions,these materials are prone to SCC failure.The Near-neutral simulated soil solution(NS4)solution is established to imitate SCC conditions and subsequently became the industry requirement for crack growth experiments in the majority of laboratories.The strainassisted active crack pathways are considered while modelling SCC growth as an oxide film rupture and anodic dissolution process.It’s been hypothesized that increasing the strain concentration can help with dissolution at the filmfree crack tip.This research focuses on estimating the SCC crack growth rate under various environmental conditions in oil and gas pipelines using finite element modelling.The simulation is carried out using the J-integral theory in the COMSOL Multiphysics program.Simulations are performed to model the crack growth rate(CGR)using slip anodic dissolution(film rupture)mechanism.The plastic strain gradient is required to compute the SCC CGR(da/dt).Because the plastic strain located at crack tip increases proportionally to the crack length as it propagates,the CGR increases as the stress intensity factor(SIF)increases.The crack growth rates increase when constant loads are applied and as the temperature rises,and elevating the cathodic potential has a minimal influence on the propagation rate of cracks but raises the material yield strength and imparts brittle behavior to it.

Stress corrosion cracking of EV31A in 0.1 M Na_(2)SO_(4) saturated with Mg(OH)_(2)

This paper studied the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)of EV31A in 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 saturated with Mg(OH)2 using linearly increasing stress tests,compared with pure Mg and WE43B.All three materials were susceptible to SCC.SCC susceptibility increased with decreasing applied stress rate.The threshold stress was 0.3×(yield stress)for pure Mg,0.6×(yield stress)for EV31A,and 0.8×(yield stress)for WE43B.The SCC velocities at an applied stress rate of 7.3×10^(-4)MPa s^(-1)were 7.2×10^(-8)m s^(−1)for pure Mg,5.6×10^(-9)m s^(-1)for WE43B,and 1.5×10^(-9)m s^(-1)for EV31A.

Q235与X70钢在新加坡土壤中的应力腐蚀行为现场试验研究

通过国产Q235钢与X70钢U形试样在新加坡现场埋样试验,应用腐蚀形貌观察、裂纹扩展形貌观察、腐蚀产物的分析以及土壤理化性质分析等手段研究Q235钢和X70钢在新加坡土壤中的应力腐蚀行为特征,初步研究国产钢在国外典型土壤环境中的耐蚀性。结果发现,新加坡土壤中含有较多的硫化菌,硫化菌降低了硫酸盐还原菌的破坏作用;Q235钢与X70钢U形试样在新加坡酸性土壤中埋样1年后均发现了应力腐蚀开裂(Stress corrosion cracking,SCC),表现出明显的SCC敏感性,X70钢应力腐蚀敏感性强于Q235钢,钢的强度对于应力腐蚀敏感性有一定的影响;点蚀的发生和酸性土壤环境促进了应力腐蚀的发生,其应力腐蚀过程主要受阳极溶解(Anodic dissolution,AD)控制,同时可能存在氢致开裂(Hydrogen induced cracking,HIC)的混合控制。

Characterization of stress corrosion crack growth of 304 stainless steel by electrochemical noise and scanning Kelvin probe

The fatigue pre-cracking 304 stainless steel （SS） specimens with lengths of 1.002 mm （L-crack） and 0.575 mm （S-crack） were prepared. Their corrosion behavior was studied by electrochemical noise （EN） in 4 mol/L NaC1 ＋ 0.01 mol/L Na2S203 solution under slow-strain-rate-testing （SSRT） conditions. Moreover, the characteristics of L-crack＇s surface morphology and potential distribution with scanning Kelvin probe （SKP） before and after SSRT were also discussed. Compared with S-crack, L-crack is propagated and the features of crack propagation can be obtained. After propagation, the noise amplitudes increase with increasing stress and accelerating corrosion, the white noises at low and high frequencies （WE and WH） of the later stage are one order of magnitude larger than that at early stage in the current power spectral densities （PSDs）. The potential PSDs also increase, but WH disappears. In addition, the crack propagation can be demonstrated according to variation of probability distribution, surface morphology and potential distribution.

Two-stage double peaks ageing and its effect on stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg alloy

Different artificial two-stage ageing behaviors and their effect on stress corrosion cracking （SCC） susceptibility of AI-Zn-Mg alloy have been investigated. The experimental results show that two hardness peaks present on the second-stage ageing-hardening curve when the first-stage ageing is dealt with comparatively lower temperature than the conventional one. The first peak is caused by dispersive and evenly distributed G.P. zones, while η ′phases and coarsened G.P. zones contribute to the second peak. Tensile strength of experimental alloy raises 9.6% （33.2 MPa） and SCC susceptibility decreases 38.9% by applying the second peak ageing regime instead of conventional T73. AI-Zn-Mg alloy obtains high strength and SCC resistance due to its finely dispersive matrix precipitates （MPts）, coarsened and discontinuous grain boundary precipitates （GBPs）, as well as the narrow precipitate free zone （PFZ） in the second peak ageing condition. 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science ＆ Technology.

A New Understanding of Stress Corrosion Cracking Mechanism of X80 Pipeline Steel at Passive Potential in High-pH Solutions

Susceptibilities to stress corrosion cracking（SCC） of X80 pipeline steel in relatively concentrated carbonate/bicarbonate solutions with different chloride ion concentrations or p H value at a passive potential of-200 m V vs SCE were investigated by slow strain rate tensile test.In order to explore the SCC mechanism and the evaluation criterion for the SCC susceptibility of the steel in passive state,electrochemical measurements were taken.Potentiodynamic polarization curves were obtained at different potential sweep rates,and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were taken after fast polarization to the passive potential.The effects of chloride ion and p H on SCC behaviors of X80 steel at the passive potential were also discussed.The results showed that the SCC mechanism of X80 pipeline steel was greatly influenced by the passive film formed in these solutions.The SCC behaviors followed the film suppressed anodic dissolution mechanism in these circumstances,because the filming process accounted for a considerable proportion of the overall electrode process.The criteria for evaluating the SCC susceptibility of the steel at passive potential were proposed and validated.Decreasing in the concentration of chloride ion or increasing in p H value resulted in the reduction in SCC susceptibility.The existence of chloride ion greatly lowered the passivation tendency and the film stability,while its concentration determined the dissolution rate of the steel matrix.Higher p H value was responsible for the stable and tenacious passive films and the high repassivation capability.It was also inclined to lower the anodic dissolution rate at crack tips by retarding the cathodic oxygen reduction.

Simultaneously Improving Mechanical Properties and Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance of High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel via Finish Rolling within Non-recrystallization Temperature

The effect of hot rolling process on microstructure evolution,mechanical properties and stress corrosion cracking(SCC)resistance of high-strength low-alloy(HSLA)steels was investigated by varying the finish rolling temperature(FRT)and total rolling reduction.The results revealed granular bainite with large equiaxed grains was obtained by a total rolling reduction of60%with the FRT of 950℃(within recrystallization temperature T_(r)).The larger grain size and much less grain boundaries should account for the relatively lower strength and SCC resistance.A larger rolling reduction of 80% under the same FRT resulted in the formation of massive martensite-austenite(M/A)constituents and resultant low ductility and SCC resistance.In contrast,a good combination of strength,ductility and SCC resistance was obtained via 80% rolling reduction with the FRT of 860℃(within non-recrystallization temperature T_(nr)),probably because of the fine grain size and M/A constituents,as well as a high density of grain boundary network.