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), Journal Name: Corrosion (Houston); (United States) Vol. 40:10; ISSN CORRA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Effect of sulfuric acid, oxygen, and hydrogen in high-temperature water on stress corrosion cracking of sensitized Type 304 stainless steel
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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PIPES
PYROLYSIS
REACTORS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SIMULATION
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
SULFURIC ACID
SYNERGISM
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
WATER
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS