Effect of sulfuric acid, oxygen, and hydrogen in high temperature water on stress corrosion cracking of sensitized AISI 304 stainless steel
The influence of dissolved oxygen and hydrogen and dilute sulfuric acid in 289 C water on the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of lightly and moderately sensitized AISI 304 stainless steel was determined in constant extension rate tensile (CERT) tests. The CERT parameters and the fracture surface morphologies were correlated with the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and sulfate, and the electrochemical potentials of platinum and AISI 304 stainless steel electrodes in simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) environments. A particularly high susceptibility to intergranular cracking was found for the lightly sensitized steel at oxygen concentrations between --0.05 and 0.2 ppm under slightly acidic conditions (pH --6.0 at 25 C), which may, in part, account for the pervasive nature of intergranular cracking in BWR piping systems. Scanning-transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed significant differences between samples in the lightly and the moderately sensitized conditions with respect to the width, but not the depth, of the chromium-depleted region at the grain boundaries. The addition of 0.5 ppm hydrogen to the water had only a slight mitigating effect on intergranular cracking in water containing oxygen and sulfuric acid at low concentrations; however, oxygen suppression to less than or equal to0.05 ppm in the reactor coolant water by means of hydrogen additions to the feedwater would be beneficial, provided impurities are also maintained at low levels.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL
- OSTI ID:
- 5279606
- Journal Information:
- Corrosion (Houston); (United States), Vol. 40:10
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effect of sulfuric acid, oxygen, and hydrogen in high-temperature water on stress corrosion cracking of sensitized Type 304 stainless steel
Effect of temperature and ionic impurities at very low concentrations on stress corrosion cracking of type 304 stainless steel
Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
HYDROGEN
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
OXYGEN
STAINLESS STEEL-304
CRACKING
SULFURIC ACID
BWR TYPE REACTORS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
PH VALUE
PIPES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SIMULATION
SYNERGISM
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
WATER
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210100* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
360105 - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion