• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.642-648
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• 2008

In order to analyze the causes of fossil power plant facilities due to a degradation and corrosion, artificial degraded materials composed of the facilities were manufactured. Various experiment were performed based on mechanical test, microstructure observation, hardness test, electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation test(EPR) and corrosion scale thickness measurement test. The master curves were write out using Larson-Miller parameter to evaluate the degree of degradation with the above diagnosis methods. These data were applied to materials database of fossil power plant diagnosis. Finally expert system on the fossil power plant diagnosis was developed using the master curves and diagnosis algorithms.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.223-230
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• 1998

The separator for a molten carbonate fuel cell(MCFC) is mode of stainless steel and known to the suscepibility to corrosion due to environments of high temperature molten carbonte electrolyte. Considering the sensitization of stainless steel in the temperature range of 425~$815^{\circ}C$, the separator is expected to be sensitized so that the interganular corrosion (IGC) occurs during the cell operation at about $650^{\circ}C$. In this study, EPR(electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation) technique was examined by relating some elements(mainly C and Cr) to the degree of sensitization of austenitic stainless steels in the molten carbonate salt at $650^{\circ}C$and the possible mechanism of intergranular corrosion was analyzed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.532-540
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• 2012

In this study, some considerations have been suggested in developing on-site techniques to evaluate the sensitization of stainless steels. Electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) technique is known to be a candidate tool for field applications since it enables quantitative assessment in reasonable test time, compared to oxalic etching (ditch) technique. The on-site application of the test method imposes additional restrictions on the selection of the test method (for example, minimum surface preparation requirement, insensitivity to testing temperature, etc.). The EPR and etching techniques have been compared in order to sensitization of stainless steel structures. It has been widely reported that the maximum sensitivity in the welded structure of stainless steel is shown at heat-affected zone (HAZ) than weldments with cast structure. In this work, sectioned weldments and external surfaces were investigated to reveal the degree of sensitization by the etching and the results were compared with those of EPR test. The EPR test showed little sensitivity to surface roughness and test temperature.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.146-155
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• 2020

To elucidate the effect of heat inputs on phase transformation and resistance to intergranular corrosion of F316 austenitic stainless steel (ASS), thermodynamic calculations of each phase and time-temperature-transformation diagram were conducted using JMaPro simulation software, oxalic acid etch test, double-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation test (DL-EPR), field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses of Cr carbide (Cr₂₃C₆), austenite phase and ferrite phase. F316 ASS containing a relatively low C content of 0.043 wt% showed a slightly sensitized microstructure (acceptably dual structure) due to a small amount of Cr carbide precipitated at heat affected zone irrespective of heat inputs. Based on results of DL-EPR test, although heat input was increased, the ratio of I_r to I_a was only increased very slightly due to a slight sensitization. Therefore, heat inputs have little influences on resistance to intergranular corrosion of F316 austenitic stainless steel containing 0.043 wt% C.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.2982-2989
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• 2021

One of the consequences of the 475 ℃ embrittlement of duplex stainless steels is the reduction of the resistance to localized corrosion. Therefore, the detection of this type of embrittlement before the material exhibits significant loss in toughness, and corrosion resistance is important to ensure the structural integrity of critical components under corrosion threats. In this research, conductivity measurements are performed using the alternating current potential drop (ACPD) technique with using a portable four-point probe as a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method for detecting the embrittlement in a 2507 (UNS S32750) super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) aged at 475 ℃ from as-received condition to 300 h. The electric conductivity results were compared against two electrochemical tests namely double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (DL-EPR) and critical pitting temperature (CPT). Mechanical tests and the microstructure characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging are conducted to track the progress of embrittlement. It is shown that the electric conductivity correlates with the changes in impact energy, microhardness, and CPT corrosion tests result demonstrating the feasibility of the four-point probe as a possible field-deployable method for evaluating the 475 ℃ embrittlement of 2507 SDSS.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.120-126
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• 2015

The usage of bending products recently have increased since many industries such as automobile, aerospace, shipbuilding, and chemical plants need the application of pipings. Bending process is one of the inevitable steps to fabricate the facilities. Induction heat bending is composed of compressive bending process by local heating and cooling. This work focused on the effect of induction heat bending process on the properties of ASME SA312 Gr. TP304 stainless steel pipes. Tests were performed for base metal and bended area including extrados, intrados, crown up, and down parts. Microstructure was analyzed using an optical microscope and SEM. In order to determine intergranular corrosion resistance, Double Loop Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation (DL-EPR) test and ASTM A262 practice A and C tests were done. Every specimen revealed non-metallic inclusion free under the criteria of 1.5i of the standard and the induction heat bending process did not affect the non-metallic inclusion in the alloys. Also, all the bended specimens had finer grain size than ASTM grain size number 5 corresponding to the grain sizes of the base metal and thus the grain size of the pipe bended by induction heat bending process is acceptable. Hardness of transition start, bend, and transition end areas of ASME SA312 TP304 stainless steel was a little higher than that of base metal. Intergranular corrosion behavior was determined by ASTM A262 practice A and C and DL-EPR test, and respectively step structure, corrosion rate under 0.3 mm/y, and Degree of Sensitization (DOS) of 0.001~0.075% were obtained. That is, the induction heat bending process didn't affect the intergranular corrosion behavior of ASME SA312 TP304 stainless steel.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.230-241
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• 2022

Austenitic stainless steel has been widely used because of its good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. However, intergranular corrosion can occur if the alloy is welded or aged. The objective of this study was to determine intergranular corrosion behaviors of austenitic medium carbon (0.05 wt%) and low carbon (0.02 wt%) stainless steel aged at several conditions. Alloys were evaluated according to ASTM A262 Practice A, ISO 12732 DL-EPR (double loop-electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation) test, and ASTM A262 Practice C. The degree of sensitization and intergranular corrosion rate were obtained. The relationship between the degree of sensitization and the intergranular corrosion rate showed a very large fluctuation. Such behavior might be related to whether two-dimension tests or three-dimension tests were performed. On the other hand, regardless of carbon content of alloys, when the intergranular corrosion rate increased, the degree of sensitization also increased. However, the DL-EPR test showed a higher sensitivity than the Huey test for differentiating the intergranular corrosion property at a low intergranular corrosion rate, while the Huey test had a higher sensitivity than the DL-EPR test for distinguishing the intergranular corrosion property at a high intergranular corrosion rate.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.250-254
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• 2002

Intergranular corrosion of austenitic stainless steels is a conventional and momentous problem during welding and high temperature use. One of the major reasons for such intergranular corrosion is so-called sensitization, i.e., chromium depletion due to chromium carbide precipitation at grain boundaries. Conventional methods for preventing sensitization of austenitic stainless steels include reduction of carbon content in the material, stabilization of carbon atoms as non-chromium carbides by the addition of titanium, niobium or zirconium, local solution-heat-treatment by laser beam, etc. These methods, however, are not without drawbacks. Recent grain boundary structure studies have demonstrated that grain boundary phenomena strongly depend on the crystallographic nature and atomic structure of the grain boundary, and that grain boundaries with coincidence site lattices are immune to intergranular corrosion. The concept of "grain boundary design and control", which involves a desirable grain boundary character distribution, has been developed as grain boundary engineering. The feasibility of grain boundary engineering has been demonstrated mainly by thermomechanical treatments. In the present study, a thermomechanical treatment was tried to improve the resistance to the sensitization by grain boundary engineering. A type 304 austenitic stainless steel was pre-strained and heat-treated, and then sensitized, varying the parameters (pre-strain, temperature, time, etc.) during the thermomechanical treatment. The grain boundary character distribution was examined by orientation imaging microscopy. The intergranular corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation and ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid tests. The sensitivity to intergranular corrosion was reduced by the thermomechanical treatment and indicated a minimum at a small roll-reduction. The frequency of coincidence-site-lattice boundaries indicated a maximum at a small strain. The ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid test showed much smaller corrosion rate in the thermomechanically-treated specimen than in the base material. An excellent intergranular corrosion resistance was obtained by a small strain annealing at a relatively low temperature for long time. The optimum parameters created a uniform distribution of a high frequency of coincidence site lattice boundaries in the specimen where corrosive random boundaries were isolated. The results suggest that the thermomechanical treatment can introduce low energy segments in the grain boundary network by annealing twins and can arrest the percolation of intergranular corrosion from the surface.