Industrial Experience on the Caustic Cracking of Stainless Steels and Nickel Alloys - A Review

Conference · Sun Oct 09 04:00:00 EDT 2005

OSTI ID:881876

Rebak, R B

Caustic environments are present in several industries, from nuclear power generation to the fabrication of alkalis and alumina. The most common material of construction is carbon steel but its application is limited to a maximum temperature of approximately 80 C. The use of Nickel (Ni) alloys is recommended at higher temperatures. Commercially pure Ni is the most resistant material for caustic applications both from the general corrosion and the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) perspectives. Nickel rich alloys also offer a good performance. The most important alloying elements are Ni and chromium (Cr). Molybdenum (Mo) is not a beneficial alloying element and it dissolves preferentially from the alloy in presence of caustic environments. Austenitic stainless steels such as type 304 and 316 seem less resistant to caustic conditions than even plain carbon steel. Experimental evidence shows that the most likely mechanism for SCC is anodic dissolution.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 881876
• Report Number(s): UCRL-PROC-216072
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ALLOYS
CARBON STEELS
CHROMIUM
CONSTRUCTION
CORROSION
DISSOLUTION
FABRICATION
HYDROXIDES
MOLYBDENUM
NICKEL
NICKEL ALLOYS
NUCLEAR POWER
PERFORMANCE
STAINLESS STEELS
STRESS CORROSION