• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.817-822
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• 2008

Metal matrix composite (MMC) materials having low electrical contact resistance based on 316L stainless steel (STS) matrix alloy with $ZrB_2$ particles were fabricated for PEMFC (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell) separator by powder metallurgy (PM). The effects of the boride particle addition into the matrix alloy on microstructure, surface morphology, and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the samples and gas diffusion layer (GDL) were investigated. Both conventional and PM 316L STS samples showed high ICR due to the existence of non-conductive passive film on the alloy surface. The addition of the boride particles, however, remarkably reduced ICR of the samples. SEM observation revealed that the boride particles were protruded out of the matrix surface and particle density existing on the surface increased with increasing the boride content, causing increase of the total contact area between the conductive particles and GDL. ICR of the samples also decreased with increasing the boride content resulted from the increased contact area.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.515-521
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• 2011

Small punch creep testing has received attention due to the convenience of using smaller specimens than those of conventional uniaxial creep tests, which enables creep testing on developing or currently operational components. However, precedent studies have shown that it is necessary to consider friction between the punch and specimen when computing uniaxial equivalent stress from a finite element model. In this study, small punch creep behaviors of AISI 316L stainless steel, which is widely used in high temperature-high pressure machineries, have been compared for the two different ceramic balls such as $Si_3N_4$ and $Al_2O_3$. The optimal range of the friction coefficient is 0.4~0.5 at $650^{\circ}C$ for the best fit between experimental and simulation data of AISI 316 L stainless steel. The higher the friction coefficient, the longer the creep rupture time is. Therefore, the type of ceramic ball used must be specified for standardization of small punch creep testing.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.300-313
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• 2022

Interest in polymer electrolyte fuel cell is growing to replace fossil fuels. In particular, in order to reduce the cost and volume of the fuel cell, research on a metallic bipolar plate is being actively conducted. In this research, investigated the effects of temperature and chloride concentration on the electrochemical characteristics and damage behavior of 316L stainless steel in an accelerated solution simulating the cathodic operating condition of PEMFC(Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell). As a result of the experiments, the corrosion current density, damage size, and surface roughness increased as the temperature and chloride concentration increased. In particular, the temperature had a significant effect on the stability of the oxide film of 316L stainless steel. In addition, it was described that the growth of the pit was affected by the chloride concentration rather than the temperature. As a result of calculating the corrosion tendency to compare the pitting corrosion rate and the uniform corrosion rate, the uniform corrosion tendency became larger as the temperature increased. And the effects of chloride concentration on corrosion tendency was different according to temperature.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2023

The aim of this study was to propose a multiple linear regression (MLR) equation to predict ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 316L stainless steel with unspecified pit corrosion. Tensile specimens with pit corrosion were prepared using a potentiostatic acceleration test method. Pit corrosion was characterized by measuring ten factors using a confocal laser microscope. Data were collected from 22 tensile tests. At 85% confidence level, total pit volume, maximum pit depth, mean ratio of surface area, and mean area were significant factors showing linear relationships with UTS. The MLR equation using these three significant factors at a 85% confidence level showed considerable prediction performance for UTS. Determination coefficient (R²) was 0.903 with training and test data sets. The yield strength ratio of 316L stainless steel was found to be around 0.85. All specimens with a pit corrosion presented a yield ratio of approximately 0.85 with R² of 0.998. Therefore, pit corrosion did not affect the yield ratio.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2004

A 12-cell PEMFC stack was fabricated using the TiN-coated 316 stainless steel bipolar plates as substitute for the expensive and brittle graphite bipolar plates. Open cirtuit voltage and the maximum power of the stack was 12.08 V and 1.197 kW (199.5 A @ 6 V), respectively. Volumetric and gravimetric power density of the stack was calculated to be 373 W/L and 168 W/kg, respectively. Performance of each cell was quite uniform initially while degraded at a singnificantly different rate. During the 1,000 hr-operation at a constant load of 48 A, stack voltage decreased from 9.0 to 7.98 V at a degradation rate of 11 %/1,000 hr. However, degradation rate of each cell was in the wide rage from 1.2 to 31 %/1,000 hr.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2019

The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of simulating the mechanical properties of irradiatied austenitic stainless steels by cold-working. In this study, the tensile properties, cyclic hardening behaviors and fracture toughness of cold-worked TP316L stainless steel were compared with those of austenitic stainless steels irradiated by neutrons. It showed that cold-working can properly simulate the increase in strength and the decrease in ductility and fracture resistance of austenitic stainless steels by neutron irradiation, even though it could not perfectly simulate the microstructures of irradiated austenitic stainless steels. Also, cold-working can appropriately simulate the hardening behaviors of neutron irradiated austenitic stainless steels under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.313-324
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• 2015

Austenitic stainless steels have been widely used in many engineering fields because of their high corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. However, welding or aging treatment may induce intergranular corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, pitting, etc. Since these types of corrosion are closely related to the formation of chromium carbide in grain boundaries, the alloys are controlled using methods such as lowering the carbon content, solution heat treatment, alloying of stabilization elements, and grain boundary engineering. This work focused on the effects of aging and UNSM (Ultrasonic Nano-crystal Surface Modification) on the intergranular corrosion of commercial 316L stainless steel and the results are discussed on the basis of the sensitization by chromium carbide formation and carbon segregation, residual stress, grain refinement, and grain boundary engineering.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 2002

Electroplating methods by molten salts and non-aqueous melts were employed for aluminium coating on STS 316L stainless steel. After coated with Ni or non-coated surface on stainless steel, Al pulse plating was carried out in two different types of electrolytes at room temperature. The Al layer from $AlCl_3$-TMPAC melts could not obtain appreciable thickness for engineering application due to chemical reactions between deposits and moisture of air. However, The Al coating by pulse plating in the Ethylbenzene-Toluene-$AlBr_3$ systems was found to be solid coating layer with a few $\mu\textrm{m}$ scale. The conductivity of Ethylbenzene-Toluene-$AlBr_3$ electrolyte was as functions of time and agitation. By seven days exposure after mixing of the electrolyte, Al-deposited layer shows uniform and near by pore-free with high current density (higher than 30mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$). The roughness and imperfection of coating layer were decreased with a increasing agitation speed. It was found that the optimum condition for the Al pulse plating on the 316L stainless steel was a 400mA peak current, duty cycle, $t_{on}$ $t_{ off}$=3ms/1ms, and a current density of 30mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.11
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• pp.722-727
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• 2009

The bipolar plates are not only the major part of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack in weight and volume, but also a significant contributor to the stack costs. Stainless steels are considered to be good candidates for bipolar plate materials of the PEMFC due to their low cost, high strength and easy machining, as well as corrosion resistance. In this paper, 316L stainless steel with and without nitrogen ion implantation were tested in simulated PEMFC environments for application as bipolar plates. The results showed that the nitride formed by nitrogen ion implantation contributed the decrease of the interfacial contact resistance without degradation of corrosion property. The combination of excellent properties indicated that nitrogen ion implanted stainless steel could be potential candidate materials as bipolar plates in PEMFC. Current efforts have focused on optimizing the condition of ion implantation.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.410-416
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• 2010

Studies were carried out to establish the technology for sodium-clad compatibility and to analyze the compatibility behavior of the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) cladding material under a flowing sodium environment. The natural circulation facility caused by the thermal convection of the liquid sodium was constructed and the 316-series stainless steels were exposed at $650{^{\circ}C}$ liquid sodium for 1458 hours. The weight change and related microstructural change were analyzed. The results showed that the quasi-dynamic facility represented by the natural convection exhibited similar results compared to the conventional dynamic facility. Selective leaching and local depletion of the chromium, re-distribution of the carbide, and the decarburization process took place in the 316-series stainless steel under a flowing sodium environment. This process decreased as the sodium flowed along the channel, which was caused by the change in the dissolved oxygen and carbon activity in the liquid sodium.