• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.317-324
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• 2021

High-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels show excellent toughness when trace amounts of transition elements are added. In steels, prior austenite grain size (PAGS), which is often determined by the number of added elements, is a critical factor in determining the mechanical properties of the material. In this study, we used two etching methods to measure and compare the PAGS of specimens with bainitic HSLA steels having different Nb contents These two methods were nital etching and picric acid etching. Both methods confirmed that the sample with high Nb content exhibited smaller PAGS than its low Nb counterpart because of Nb's ability to hinder austenite recrystallization at high temperatures. Although both etching approaches are beneficial to PAGS estimation, the picric acid etching method has the advantage of enabling observation of the interface containing Nb precipitate. By contrast, the nital etching method has the advantage of a very short etching time (5 s) in determining the PAGS, with the picric acid etching method being considerably longer (5 h).

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.466-474
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• 2003

To develop a method of detecting dross in coating layer on hot-dip galvanizing steel, chemical etching behavior of the artificial coating layers with top and bottom dross were investigated. After chemical etching with the mixture of picric acid and sodium thiosulfate, each of the top and bottom dross take its distinct color, and alloy layer in coating is also observed. Defects in the coating layers of HGI(hot rolled galvanized iron), CGI(continuous galvanized steel sheet) and GA(galvannealed steel) were analysed, and methods of dross detection which can be applied to inspection process in manufacture were suggested.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1911-1918
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• 2001

Recently the non-destructive test technique which uses the grain boundary etching characteristics owing to the variation of material structures has been proposed. However, during in-serviced GEM test there are a lot of variables such as the changes of temperature and concentration of etching solution, the roughness condition of surface polished etc.. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influences of these test variables on GEM test results in order to establish a reliable and sensitive of GEM evaluation technique. The experiments are conducted in various solution temperatures, 10$\^{C}$, 15$\^{C}$, 20$\^{C}$, and 25$\^{C}$ and in 70% and 100% concentrations of that, and in various surface roughnesses polished by #800, #2000, and 0.3㎛ alumina powder. Through the test with variables, it is verified that the decrease of temperature and concentration of etching solution and the coarsened surface roughness by not using polishing cloth and powder induce some badly and/or greatly influences on GEM test results like grain boundary etching width(W$\_$GB) and intersecting point ratio(N$\_$i/N$\_$0/). Therefore, to get reliable and good GEM test results, it must be prepared the surface of specimen polished by polishing cloth and 0.3㎛ alumina powder and the saturated picric acid solution having 25$\^{C}$ and be maintained the constant temperature(25$\^{C}$) during GEM test.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 1997

The grain boundary etching method as a method for assessing degradation of structural materials has received much attention because it is simple, inexpensive and easy to apply to real components. In this study, the effectiveness of the method is verified by successfully applying the technique to in-service components of aged fossil power plants such as main steam pipes, boiler headers an turbine rotors. A new degradation parameter, intersecting number ratio (N$_{1}$/N$_{0}$), is employed. The intersecting number ratio (N$_{1}$/N$_{0}$) is defined as the ratio of intersection number (N$_{1}$) obtained from 5-minute picric acid etched surface to the number (N$_{0}$) obtained from nital etched surface. Two kinds of test materials, 2.25Cr-1Mo steel and 1Cr-1Mo-0.25V steel, were artificially thermal-aged at 630.deg. C in different levels of degradation., (N$_{1}$/N$_{0}$) were measured. And, correlations between the measured values and LMP values calculated from aging temperature and aging time were sought. To check the validity of the correlations obtained in laboratory, similar data were measured from service components in four old Korean fossil power plants. These on-site measurement data were in good correlation with those obtained in the laboratory.oratory.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.74-82
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• 1998

The grain boundary etching method as a technique for assessing degradation of structural materials used at elevated temperature has received much attention since it is simple, inexpensive and easy to apply to real plant components. In this study, the technique is applied to some aged petroleum and chemical plant components such as reactors and drums. As a degradation parameter, intersection number ratio ($N_i/N_o$), is employed. The intersection number ratio ($N_i/N_o$) is defined as the ratio of intersection number ($N_i$) obtained from 5-minute picric acid etched surface to the number ($N_o$) obtained from Nital etched surface. In order to study degradation level, several relationships were measured such as the correlation between shift in ductile brittle transition temperature, $({\Delta}DBTT)_{sp}$ and intersection number ratio, ($N_i/N_o$) and the correlation between the measured ($N_i/N_o$) values and Larson-Miller Parameter values.