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Two modified stainless-steel formulations, with only two-thirds chromium content found in conventional type 304, have mechanical and chemical properties comparable to type 304. Low-chromium stainless steels have potential uses in heat exchangers, transfer lines for chemicals, automobile trim, and other applications.
Why Austenitic Stainless Steel for Tritium Service? • High strength and ductility for structural components and pressure boundaries • Austenitic SS is highly resistant to hydrogen isotope embrittlement • Not immune though
Stainless steel sheet-to-plate tee joint resistance welded by Magnetic Force Upset Welding process, testing performance
A composite stainless steel composition is composed essentially of, in terms of wt. % ranges: 25 to 28 Cr; 11 to 13 Ni; 7 to 8 W; 3.5 to 4 Mo; 3 to 3.5 B; 2 to 2.5 Mn; 1 to 1.5 Si; 0.3 to 1.7 C; up to 2 O; balance Fe. The composition has an austenitic matrix phase and a particulate, crystalline dispersed phase.
The austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 was thermochemically surface treated using a powder-packed boronizing process at a temperature of 950 °C for about 4 hours. Double-phase boride layer (FeB and Fe{sub 2}B) was detected and then investigated for the corrosion resistance compared with the untreated one. Heat treatment was performed at a temperature range of 800 to 900 °C for 2 hours on the boronized austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 to diminish the double-phase boride layer. Afterward, corrosion tests were performed to clarify the effects of heat treatment as well as phase transformation on the corrosion resistance of the boronized austenitic stainless steel AISI 304. The results of this study showed that the formation of single-phase Fe{sub 2}B layer offers the best corrosion resistance.
Low-cost stainless-steel electrodes can activate hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) by converting it into a hydroxyl radical ( • OH) and other reactive oxidants. At an applied potential of +0.020 V, the stainless-steel electrode produced • OH with a yield that was over an order of magnitude higher than that reported for other systems that employ iron oxides as catalysts under circumneutral pH conditions. Decreasing the applied potential at pH 8 and 9 enhanced the rate of H 2 O 2 loss by shifting the process to a reaction mechanism that resulted in the formation of an Fe(IV) species. Significant metal leaching was only observed under acidic pH conditions (i.e., at pH <6), with the release of dissolved Fe and Cr occurring as the thickness of the passivation layer decreased. Despite the relatively high yield of • OH production under circumneutral pH conditions, most of the oxidants were scavenged by the electrode surface when contaminant concentrations comparable to those expected in drinking water sources were tested. The stainless-steel electrode efficiently removed trace organic contaminants from an authentic surface water sample without contaminating the water with Fe and Cr. With further development, stainless-steel electrodes could provide a cost-effective alternative to other H 2 O 2 activation processes, such as those by ultraviolet light.
Austenitic stainless steel welds play a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of light water reactors. Within the reactor core, stainless steel welds endure a harsh service environment including elevated temperature, corrosive coolant, and intense neutron irradiation. Long-term exposure to such a severe service environment could lead to performance degradation. To ensure the safe and economic operation of light water reactors, this study performed crack growth rate and fracture toughness tests on irradiated and thermally aged weld samples harvested from decommissioned reactor components. In a low-corrosion-potential environment, stainless steel welds showed resistance to stress corrosion cracking, and the measured crack propagation rates were comparable to those of wrought stainless steels under similar test conditions. However, a marked decline in fracture toughness was observed in weld samples, particularly in irradiated samples. Fracture instability was observed at ~0.8 dpa, significantly lower than those observed in wrought stainless steels. Further research at higher doses is needed to evaluate the dose dependence of irradiation-induced embrittlement, and to understand the interplay between thermal aging and neutron irradiation in stainless steel welds.
Recently published work investigated themechanism of the catalytic effect of thiocyanate on the active dissolution of ferritic stainless steel (Type 430 stainless steel). This work has been extended to Type 304 stainless steel. Potentiostatic and impedance measurements were performed on pure iron, pure chromium, pure nickel and Type 304 stainless steel in 1 M sulfate solutions at pH = 2.5 and pH= 0. As proposed for Type 430 stainless steel, the catalytic effect of thiocyanate on anodic dissolution of Type 304 stainless steel also appears to be primarily caused by the increased dissolution rate of chromium, counteracting the formation of the Cr-O-Cr passivating network at ledges. Nickel does contribute to the corrosion resistance of Type 304 stainless steel in the presence of thiocyanate, but its beneficial effect appears to be secondary to that of chromium.
Highlights: • Intergranular corrosion (IGC) in stainless steel was crystallographically discussed. • Grain boundaries (GBs) were classified based on the coincidence site lattice (CSL). • Influence of the Σ value on their IGC susceptibility had a wide range scatter. • IGC susceptibility was characterized by the Σ value and unit cell area of CSL GBs. - Abstract: This study deals with the susceptibility to intergranular corrosion (IGC) in type 304 austenitic stainless steel from a crystallographic viewpoint. An IGC test was conducted using oxalic acid and sensitized stainless steel, whose crystal orientation was analyzed by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). GBs were classified according to the misorientation of adjacent grains, and subclassified using the Σ value based on the coincidence site lattice (CSL) model. The width of corroded groove was measured for each GB category, and the effect of GB category on the susceptibility to IGC was examined. Then, the area of the unit cell of CSL boundaries was used to characterize the susceptibility to IGC of CSL boundaries. It was found that no IGC occurred in low-angle GBs with a misorientation of 15°, the width of corroded groove at each Σ boundary exhibited large scatter. The relationship between the width and unit cell area was characterized by a sigmoid curve, and the susceptibility to IGC was well described by the unit cell area.
Cast austenitic stainless steels (CASSs) have been extensively used for the large components of light water reactor (LWR) power plants such as primary coolant piping and pump casing. Since a large number of massive CASS components are installed in every modern nuclear power plant, any significant degradation of CASS components will raise serious concerns on the integrity of the entire power plant. Upon the presumption that the replacement cost of such massive components is prohibitive, therefore, thorough scientific understanding and systematic monitoring the thermal aging degradation of CASS components should be essential requirements for assessing the plant safety. In the past few decades many researches have concluded that the formation of Cr-rich α-phase by Spinoidal decomposition of δ-ferrite phase, which is formed in high temperature region during cooling, is the primary mechanism for the thermal embrittlement. Cracking mechanism in the thermally-embrittled duplex stainless steels consists of cleavage initiation at ferrite and crack propagation via separation of ferrite-austenite interphase. It has been known, however, that such thermal aging embrittlement is observed only in accelerated aging conditions and the cast stainless steel grades used in nuclear plants have performed well without experiencing real embrittlement. It has been speculated that long-term thermal aging for ≥ 60 years could lead to further decomposition of designed phases and increase of precipitation. This will result in significantly increased susceptibility to embrittlement or other degradation due to thermal aging-radiation synergistic effect, irradiation-induced degradation, stress-corrosion cracking, and general corrosion. Currently, therefore, the thermal embrittlement of CASS components is one of the most serious concerns for extended operation of nuclear power plants. A scientific research is underway to address the issues related to the thermal aging degradation of CASS components. The research aims to provide knowledge-based conclusive prediction for the integrity of the CASS components of LWR power plants during extended operation up to and beyond 60 years. This presentation intends to provide an introductory overview on the thermal aging phenomena in LWR relevant conditions and discussion on the measurements of mechanical property degradation after accelerated and LWR relevant thermal aging treatments. First, the thermal aging effect on toughness is discussed in terms of the causes of embrittlement and influential parameters. Second, the talk will include a comprehensive discussion on the thermal aging effects in different CASS grades (i.e., CF3, CF3M, CF8, and CF8M), which will focus on the influence of alloying elements such as molybdenum and carbon. Third, approximate analysis on thermal reaction in CASS was carried out using Arrhenius equation to decide the effective temperature range for accelerated aging experiments to simulate 60 and 80 years of services in limited time frame. The results will provide valuable insights in the degree of thermal aging. Fourth, calculation on equilibrium precipitation was performed for model CASS alloys using the CALPHAD program, and the results will be used to describe the precipitation behaviors in association with the degradation in mechanical properties. (authors)
Weldments of 347H stainless steel are potentially susceptible to stress relaxation cracking at elevated service temperatures. Mitigation of stress relaxation cracking susceptibility within a multipass weld requires a good understanding of welding practices and manufacturing techniques to control high tensile residual stresses. Here in this work, the dependence of residual stress distribution in 347H stainless steel on base plate thickness, joint geometry design, and preheating condition was systematically investigated by using three-dimensional finite element models. The finite element models were validated through good agreement between neutron diffraction measurements and calculated elastic strains. The single-V-groove welds with and without a preheating step all produced similar peak von Mises residual stresses, above 450 MPa, within both the fusion zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ). In plates thicker than 0.5 in. (12.7 mm), high tensile residual stress could be observed in a relatively large area, from the middle of the plate thickness to underneath the top surface. A double-V groove shifted the high tensile stress area to the middle thickness of the weld. A single-J-groove weld was able to confine the residual stress to a very small region near the middle thickness within the fusion zone and suppressed the von Mises residual stress within the HAZ to below 400 MPa.
Nano-structured duplex and ferritic stainless steel powders are prepared by planetary milling of elemental Fe, Cr and Ni powder for 40 h and then consolidated by conventional pressureless sintering. The progress of milling and the continuous refinement of stainless steel powders have been confirmed by means of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Activation energy for the formation of duplex and ferritic stainless steels is calculated by Kissinger method using differential scanning calorimetry and is found to be 159.24 and 90.17 KJ/mol respectively. Both duplex and ferritic stainless steel powders are consolidated at 1000, 1200 and 1400 °C in argon atmosphere to study microstructure, density and hardness. Maximum sintered density of 90% and Vickers microhardness of 550 HV are achieved for duplex stainless steel sintered at 1400 °C for 1 h. Similarly, 92% sintered density and 263 HV microhardness are achieved for ferritic stainless steel sintered at 1400 °C. - Highlights: • Synthesized duplex and ferritic stainless steels by pulverisette planetary milling • Calculated activation energy for the formation of duplex and ferritic stainless steels • Studied the effect of sintering temperature on density, hardness and microstructure • Duplex stainless steel exhibits 90% sintered density and microhardness of 550 HV. • Ferritic stainless steel shows 92% sintered density and 263 HV microhardness.
Joining aluminum to stainless steel by bonding aluminum coatings onto titanium coated stainless steel and brazing aluminum to aluminum/titanium coated steel
The 00Cr12 ferritic stainless steel samples were isothermally held at different temperatures in the range of 700 °C to 1000 °C to investigate the effect of static recrystallization and precipitation on mechanical properties, such as microhardness, tensile strength, and yield strength. The results show that the formation of the fine recrystallized grain, as well as precipitation, coarsening, and dissolution of the second-phase particles, influences the mechanical properties remarkably. The fine recrystallized grain can provide a positive grain boundary-strengthening effect in the sample under a relatively high holding temperature. Coarsening and dissolution of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} result in partial depletion of precipitate hardening. In contrast, the size and number density of MX particles are almost constant, regardless of the holding temperature; therefore, it can provide a better precipitation-hardening effect.
A process was developed to coat 316L stainless steel pieces having very low levels of fixed contamination on their surface (~100 dpm/100 cm²). The coating process served to significantly decrease the likelihood of any fixed contamination becoming loose contamination due to physical shocks. Prior to coating, the stainless steel was etched with a commercial methane sulfonic acid (MSA) solution in a heated ultrasonic bath, rinsed with deionized water, cleaned with a basic detergent solution, and then rinsed with deionized water. The MSA etched the surface of the stainless-steel pieces, creating a more favorable surface on which the coating could adhere. Due to the short timeline of the project, only commercially available clear coating products were considered. The clear coating had to be wear-resistant, shock resistant, radiation resistant, and have high adhesion to the surface of the stainless steel. Adhesion of coatings to stainless steel is notoriously difficult. A commercial, high molecular weight polymer coating was found that met these requirements. The adhesion properties of this coating to stainless steel are very good, and are significantly improved by the etching process. The etching process results in a higher surface area that is free of debris and other residues, making the surface much more wetable, and at the same time creating a favorable surface topography for adhesion. The polymer in its uncured form is a low viscosity liquid. It can be applied by brush or pipette, and it cures in air alone, but heat is required to speed up curing and attain the highest performance of the cured polymer. As the project progressed, the project team became interested in the composition of the selected commercial polymer coating, and in ways that this polymer coating could be made more wear resistant and potentially more radiation resistant. Nano-particle addition was chosen as the preferred way to achieve higher performance. Therefore, a series of tests were planned and performed. This report summarizes these tests, and presents the results.
Targets made of ITER-grade 316L(N)-IG stainless steel and Russian-grade 12Cr18Ni10Ti stainless steel with a close composition were exposed at the QSPA-T plasma gun to plasma photonic radiation pulses simulating conditions of disruption mitigation in ITER. After a large number of pulses, modification of the stainless-steel surface was observed, such as the formation of a wavy structure, irregular roughness, and cracks on the target surface. X-ray and optic microscopic analyses of targets revealed changes in the orientation and dimensions of crystallites (grains) over a depth of up to 20 μm for 316L(N)-IG stainless steel after 200 pulses and up to 40 μm for 12Cr18Ni10Ti stainless steel after 50 pulses, which is significantly larger than the depth of the layer melted in one pulse (∼10 μm). In a series of 200 tests of ITER-grade 316L(N)-IG ITER stainless steel, a linear increase in the height of irregularity (roughness) with increasing number of pulses at a rate of up to ∼1 μm per pulse was observed. No alteration in the chemical composition of the stainless-steel surface in the series of tests was revealed. A model is developed that describes the formation of wavy irregularities on the melted metal surface with allowance for the nonlinear stage of instability of the melted layer with a vapor/plasma flow above it. A decisive factor in this case is the viscous flow of the melted metal from the troughs to tops of the wavy structure. The model predicts saturation of the growth of the wavy structure when its amplitude becomes comparable with its wavelength. Approaches to describing the observed stochastic relief and roughness of the stainless-steel surface formed in the series of tests are considered. The recurrence of the melting-solidification process in which mechanisms of the hill growth compete with the spreading of the material from the hills can result in the formation of a stochastic relief.
Additively manufactured (AM) stainless steels exhibit numerous microstructural differences compared to their wrought counterparts, such as Cr enriched dislocation cell structures. The influence these unique features have on a SSs corrosion resistance are still under investigation with most current works limited to laboratory experiments. The work herein shows the first documented study of AM 304L and 316L exposed to a severe marine environment on the eastern coast of Florida with comparisons made to wrought counterparts. Coupons were exposed for 21 months and resulted in significant pitting corrosion to initiate after 1 month of exposure for all conditions. At all times, the AM coupons exhibited lower average and maximum pit depths than their wrought counterparts. After 21 months, pits on average were 4 μm deep for AM 316L specimen and 8 μm deep for wrought specimen. Pits on the wrought samples tended to be nearly hemispherical and polished with some pits showing crystallographic attack while pits on AM coupons exhibited preferential attack at melt pool boundaries and the cellular microstructure.
Cast austenitic stainless steel (CASS) was commonly used in selected designs of nuclear power reactor systems for corrosion resistance and enhanced durability in service. CASS materials are generally coarse-grained and elastically anisotropic in nature, and are consequently difficult to inspect ultrasonically, largely due to detrimental effects of ultrasonic wave interactions with the coarse-grain microstructures. To address the inspection needs for these materials, new approaches that are robust to these phenomena are being developed. However, to enhance the probability of detecting flaws, knowledge of the microstructure and the corresponding acoustic properties of the material may be required. This paper discusses the application of ultrasonic backscatter measurement methods for classifying the microstructure of CASS components, when making measurements from the outside surface of the pipe or component. Results to date from laboratory experiments demonstrate the potential of these measurements to classify the material type of CASS for two homogeneous microstructures—equiaxed-grain material or columnar-grain material. Measurements on mixed or banded microstructures also show correlation with the estimated volume-fraction of columnar grains in the material. However, several operational issues will need to be addressed prior to applying this method for in-situ characterization of CASS microstructure.