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Title: Quantitative Nanoscale 3D Imaging of Intergranular Corrosion of 304 Stainless Steel Using Hard X-Ray Nanoprobe

Journal Article · · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

Multi-modal imaging, which visualizes changes in the structure and chemistry of the same region of interest in materials by combining various techniques, is becoming attractive to material scientists. Here, we describe a multi-modal approach to investigate intergranular (IG) corrosion of sensitized stainless steels using synchrotron-based nanoscale X-ray imaging with sensitivity to microstructure and chemical composition. Three-dimensional tomography of 304 stainless steel samples deteriorated by IG corrosion, was carried out using X-ray fluorescence and differential phase contrast imaging. These findings were further supported with surface imaging and chemical analysis using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The combined quantitative structural and chemical analysis indicates that chromium segregates along grain boundaries, cracking is due to IG corrosion, and Cr-enrichment occurs on the cracked surfaces. Such quantitative 3D imaging of Cr23C6 nucleation at grain boundaries and Cr enriched oxides at cracked surfaces is a powerful tool to correlate IG corrosion mechanisms at nanoscale with buried grain boundary structure and alloy composition. Such understanding of IG corrosion mechanisms is critical for both the development of predictive multiscale corrosion models, and the engineering of corrosion resistant materials.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1529885
Report Number(s):
BNL-211817-2019-JAAM
Journal Information:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 166, Issue 11; ISSN 0013-4651
Publisher:
The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 3 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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