Effects of Nb on stress corrosion cracking of high-strength low-alloy steel in simulated seawater

In this study, simulated heat-affected zone (HAZ) of Nb-free and Nb-bearing steel were obtained, and SEM, TEM, and slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests were performed to investigate the effect of Nb on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of high-strength low-alloy (HLSA) steel in simulated seawater with or without hydrogen charging. The addition of Nb significantly refined the grains and uniformed the microstructure of HLSA. Nb hardly affected the SCC susceptibility of BM and HAZ without hydrogen-charging. However, after charging with 10 mA cm⁻², the SCC resistance of Nb-bearing steel, especially the coarse grain HAZ (CGHAZ) improved drastically, and the process of crack initiation and propagation was inhibited owing to the hydrogen trap function of NbC precipitates.     

Immersion corrosion behavior,electrochemical performance and corrosion mechanism of subsonic flame sprayed FeCoCrMoSi amorphous coating in 3.5% NaCl solution

A FeCoCrMoSi amorphous coating (AC) was fabricated on Ti6Al4V alloy (TA) by subsonic flame spraying (SFS) technique, which was used to improve its corrosion resistance. The morphology, element distribution and chemical composition of obtained coating were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X–ray Fluorescence (XRF), respectively, and its amorphous structure was confirmed by X–ray diffraction (XRD). The immersion corrosion behavior and electrochemical performance of FeCoCrMoSi AC immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution for the different days were systematically investigated, and the corrosion mechanism of amorphous structure was also discussed by the model of passive film. The results show that the FeCoCrMoSi AC exhibits the dense amorphous structure, which is beneficial to improving the anti–corrosion performance of TA. The potentiodynamic polarization curve (PPC) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicate that the FeCoCrMoSi AC with the lowest i_corr of 1.479 × 10^?6 A·cm^?2 immersed for 60 days has the largest capacitor loop diameter of 7.53 × 10⁵ and charge transfer resistance R_ct of 4.31 × 10⁴ Ω, showing the highest comprehensive corrosion resistance. The mechanism of corrosion resistance is contributed to the Cr–rich passive film, which is further stabilized by the addition of Mo.     

Inhibition effect of natural polysaccharide composite on hydrogen evolution and P110 steel corrosion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution saturated with CO2: Combination of experimental and surface analysis

For the analysis of corrosion and hydrogen production inhibition, we have synthesized Guar gum and methylmethacrylate (GG-MMA) composite. The synthesized composite was used as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for P110 steel in 3.5% NaCl solution saturated with carbon dioxide at 50 °C. The primary corrosion techniques like weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) was used to analyze the corrosion inhibition process. EIS study reveals the kinetically controlled corrosion inhibition process. The results of PDP proposed that GG-MMA composite is the cathodic type of inhibitor. The corrosion inhibition performance of GG-MMA alone is 90% at 400 mg/L, and that of formulation with KI (5 mM) + GG-MMA (300 mg/L) is 96.8%. The adsorption of GG-MMA over P110 steel is spontaneous and mixed type i.e., both physical and chemical. The conformation of GG-MMA molecule adsorption was done using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Contact angle measurement, Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies.     

A mechanistic study on the hydrogen trapping property and the subsequent electrochemical corrosion behavior of quenched and tempered steel

The hydrogen-facilitated anodic dissolution of steel is an interesting experimental phenomenon, but the persistent gaps in this knowledge area are great. The changes in the Tafel slopes and the reaction rates of steel that has been cathodically charged with hydrogen are interpreted mainly in the context of hydrogen trapping and de-trapping behaviors of steel using a variety of electrochemical methods. This study reveals that the increase in the anodic current density and the decrease in the polarization resistance are attributed primarily to the hydrogen-induced lattice expansion. Based on the Tafel-slope change, the oxidation of hydrogen cation partly contributed to the increase in the total anodic current density together with the dominant anodic reaction of the steel dissolution. The electrochemical permeation measurements showed much slower effusion kinetics of the hydrogen that has been trapped at the ε-carbide particles, and the trapping and de-trapping behavior at the fine particles are one of the controlling factors of the hydrogen-enhanced anodic dissolution of steel. From an engineering aspect, it is believed that the current study will provide an important insight into future perspectives on stress corrosion cracking failure occurring in various high-strength steels.     

Study on the role of niobium in corrosion mechanism of low-alloy pipeline steel in H2S-saturated solution

In this study, the role of Nb addition on the corrosion behavior of low-alloy steel exposed to H₂S solution is studied by means of microstructure, macro/microsurface morphology characteristics, type of corrosion product, cross-sectional structure and elemental distribution. The addition of Nb is a route to refine grains and improve corrosion resistance. The surface formation process of iron sulfides changes from homogeneity to dispersion at the initial corrosion stage when Nb is added to steel. However, the transformation process and crystal structure of iron sulfides are not affected by the addition of Nb. The elemental distribution of corrosion products is not affected by Nb addition although thick and compact corrosion products are formed on the specimen surface of Nb steel. A schematic model is proposed to clarify the difference of the corrosion mechanism in atomic and molecular level.     

Combined impact of elastic stress,prestrain and electrochemical charging on the hydrogen-induced cracking of high-strength steel

The elastic stress, prestrain and electrochemical hydrogen charging were controlled separately using a stress ring to investigate their roles in the initiation of hydrogen-induced cracks. The brittle features of hydrogen charging-induced damages, i.e., a mixture of quasi-cleavage and intergranular cracks, on the fracture surface were confirmed for a high-strength steel, made possible by applying degassing and tension-to-fracture to the hydrogen-charged specimens. The hydrogen charging-induced cracks eliminated the ductility of material, leading to premature fracture before the yield point in subsequent tensile tests. The strong dependence of hydrogen-induced cracking sensitivity on hydrogen concentration and hydrogen charging time was observed. X-ray microtomography and tensile tests were also utilized to investigate the effect of inclusions on crack formation. This study contributes to the understanding of the combined effects of residual stress and hydrogen on the cracking of deformed steel plates.     

Electrochemical hydrogen discharge of high-strength low alloy steel for high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage tank: Effect of discharging temperature

Hydrogen discharge technique of high-strength low alloy steel for high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage tank was developed by using an electrochemical technique. The electrochemical hydrogen discharge of high-strength low alloy steel were investigated in a deaerated borate buffer solution (0.3 M H₃BO₃ + 0.074 M N₂B₄O₇, pH = 8.4). By applying a potential of +630 mV_SCE which is higher than the hydrogen equilibrium potentials and lower than the pitting potential, the oxidation reaction of metal (Fe → Fe²⁺ + 2e⁻) is limited and oxidation reaction of the hydrogen (H₂ + 2OH⁻ → 2H₂O + 2e⁻) was induced simultaneously. Thus, the pre-charged hydrogen inside the specimen was eliminated effectively without any damage to the specimen. The electrochemical hydrogen discharge method was performed at 25 °C, 50 °C and 75 °C. The efficiency of hydrogen discharge was accelerated with increasing temperature because the exchange current density of hydrogen is increased with temperature.     

The stability of hydrogen evolution activity and corrosion behavior of NiCu coatings with long-term electrolysis in alkaline solution

In this study, NiCu composite coating was electrochemically deposited on a copper electrode (Cu/NiCu) and tested for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1 M KOH solution for long-term electrolysis with the help of cathodic current–potential curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The bulk and surface composition of the coating was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of electrolysis on the corrosion behavior of the Cu/NiCu electrode was also reported. It was found that the NiCu coating had a compact and porous structure with good time stability. The HER activity of the coating was stable over 120 h electrolysis and the HER mechanism was not modified during the operation. The corrosion tests showed that the corrosion resistance of the Cu/NiCu electrode changed when a cathodic current was applied to the electrolysis system.     

Effect of minor nickel alloying with zinc on the electrochemical and corrosion behavior of zinc in alkaline solution

The electrochemical and corrosion behavior of pure zinc and Zn-0.5Ni alloy in strong alkaline solution (7 M KOH) was investigated by Tafel plot, potentiodynamic, potentiostatic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Measurements were conducted under different experimental conditions. The results of both Tafel plot extrapolation and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements exhibited the same trend, which the cathodic and anodic processes on the alloy surface are less significant compared with those on the pure zinc. The results revealed that, the shift in steady state of open-circuit potential (E_corr) to more negative potential in the case of the studied alloy compared with that of pure zinc has a positive effect on both charge efficiency and self-discharge.The anodic potentiodynamic measurements demonstrated that the polarization curves exhibited active/passive transition. The active dissolution of both pure zinc and its alloy increases with increasing temperature and scan rate. The activation energy (E_a) value of active region and peak current (I_AI) of the two studied electrodes in the investigated alkaline solution is calculated and compared. In the case of alloy, the results obtained at certain positive potential (+425 mV vs. SCE), exhibited high current density indicating that the most passive layer was destroyed. This indicates that the addition of small amount from Ni to Zn promotes the electrochemical reaction (in the passive region), acting as so-called self catalysis. Accordingly, one can conclude that, the electrochemical behavior of the investigated alloy in strong alkaline solution contributes to suppression of hydrogen gas evolution and increases the corrosion resistance. In addition, reactivation of the alloy surface takes place in the passive region.     

Hydrogen embrittlement behavior in the nugget zone of friction stir welded X100 pipeline steel

Hydrogen-induced damage is an inevitable challenge in pipeline safety applications, especially, the fusion welded joints owing to microstructure heterogeneity caused by welding process. In this work, X100 pipeline steel was subjected to friction stir welding (FSW) at rotation rates of 300–600 rpm under water cooling, and the relationship among the microstructure, hydrogen diffusivity, and hydrogen embrittlement (HE) behavior of the nugget zone (NZ) were studied. The NZ at 600 rpm had the highest effective hydrogen diffusion coefficient (D_eff) of 2.1 × 10^?10 m²/s because of the highest dislocation density and lowest ratio of effective grain boundary. The D_eff decreased with decreasing rotation rate due to the decrease of dislocation density and the increase of ratio of effective grain boundary, and the lowest D_eff of 1.32 × 10^?10 m²/s was obtained at 300 rpm. After hydrogen charging, the tensile strength of all specimens decreased slightly, while the elongation decreased significantly. As the rotation rate decreased, the elongation loss was obviously inhibited, and ultimately a lowest elongation loss of 31.8% was obtained at 300 rpm. The abovementioned excellent mechanical properties were attributed to the fine ferrite/martensite structure, low D_eff, and strong {111}//ND texture dramatically inhibiting hydrogen-induced cracking initiation and propagation.     

Hydrogen generation during the corrosion of carbon steel in crotonic acid and using some organic surfactants to control hydrogen evolution

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate the corrosion of carbon steel in crotonic acid for hydrogen production and using polysorbate 20 (NS), dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AS) and benzalkonium chloride (CS) to control hydrogen evolution. Measurements were conducted in tested solutions using hydrogen evolution and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements and complemented by scan electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) investigations. It is shown that the hydrogen generation rate obtained during the corrosion of carbon steel in crotonic acid increased with increase in acid concentration, temperature and immersion time. The addition of organic surfactants inhibits the hydrogen generation rate. The inhibition occurs through adsorption of organic surfactants on the metal surface. Adsorption processes followed the Langmuir isotherm. The order of effectiveness of the surfactants was AS > NS > CS. The values of activation energy (E_a) and heat of adsorption (Q_ads) were calculated and discussed.     

A systematic study on the influence of electrochemical charging conditions on the hydrogen embrittlement behaviour of a pipeline steel

Although hydrogen embrittlement (HE) has been the subject of extensive research over the past century, a systematic study on the HE susceptibility of steels under different electrochemical charging conditions has been lacking. This study specifically targets this knowledge gap by evaluating the HE behaviour of a typical pipeline steel X65 after hydrogen-charging in acidic, neutral, and alkaline electrolytes that simulate various industrial environments. Results from a series of experiments show that the HE susceptibility of X65 steel varied significantly with hydrogen-charging electrolytes and, to a smaller extent, with electrochemical charging variables. The highest and lowest HE susceptibilities were found from specimens charged in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, respectively. An increase in yield strength was observed for almost all hydrogen-charged specimens, regardless of the charging conditions. Under severe electrochemical charging conditions, blistering was detected and mechanical properties were substantially decreased. Discussion has been made in comprehending these relationships.     

On the role of hydrogen in the stress corrosion cracking behavior of Q345R steel in HF vapor environment

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of Q345R steel in hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor environment was investigated. It is shown that Q345R has a high susceptibility to SCC in HF vapor environment, which is negatively correlated with the strain rate. Several different crack morphologies and cracking factors are verified: flat cracks in ferrite are associated with anodic dissolution triggered by micro-galvanic corrosion, and porous cracks at the pearlite and pearlite-ferrite interfaces are mainly influenced by hydrogen. The results of hydrogen charging tests show that pre-charging has little effect on the hydrogen embrittlement of Q345R steel, while in-situ charging leads to severe brittle fracture of the material, because hydrogen interacts with large number of moving dislocations generated by in-situ stretching process and penetrates more readily into the material. The synergistic relationship between hydrogen and dislocation motion is found to be the main mechanism for the transition from ductile to brittle fracture.     

Microstructure and electrochemical corrosion behavior of a Pb-1 wt%Sn alloy for lead-acid battery components

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of solidification cooling rates on the as-cast microstructural morphologies of a Pb-1 wt%Sn alloy, and to correlate the resulting microstructure with the corresponding electrochemical corrosion resistance in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution at 25 °C. Cylindrical low-carbon steel and insulating molds were employed permitting the two extremes of a significant range of solidification cooling rates to be experimentally examined. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) diagrams, potentiodynamic polarization curves and an equivalent circuit analysis were used to evaluate the electrochemical corrosion response of Pb-1 wt%Sn alloy samples. It was found that lower cooling rates are associated with coarse cellular arrays which result in better corrosion resistance than fine cells which are related to high cooling rates. The experimental results have shown that that the pre-programming of microstructure cell size of Pb-Sn alloys can be used as an alternative way to produce as-cast components of lead-acid batteries with higher corrosion resistance.     

Using a pulsed electric current to reduce the susceptibility of high-strength steel to the stress corrosion cracking caused by hydrogen

Under the tensile loading, the damage of metals in the corrosive medium is the most destructive and harmful. In this study, the stress corrosion cracking behavior of H-charged high-strength steel in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution after electropulsing treatment was investigated. The experimental results from elongation, yield strength, fracture morphology, and polarization curves all demonstrate the positive effect of the pulsed processing, as it reduced the susceptibility of steel to stress corrosion cracking by removing hydrogen by electropulsing. The reduction in hydrogen content of the pulsed high–strength steels was attributed to electromigration and increased system free energy, which drove the hydrogen atoms in the steel to de–trap and reduced the susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking.     

Effects of vanadium precipitates on hydrogen trapping efficiency and hydrogen induced cracking resistance in X80 pipeline steel

In this study, the number and size distribution of vanadium precipitates and their effects on hydrogen trapping efficiency and hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) susceptibility were investigated in X80 pipeline steel. The results showed that as the vanadium content increased, the number of nanoscale vanadium precipitates clearly increased. Furthermore, the amount of hydrogen atoms trapped by vanadium precipitates gradually increased and the hydrogen diffusion coefficient decreased from 4.74 × 10^?6 cm² s^?1 in the vanadium-free V0 steel to 8.48 × 10^?7 cm² s^?1 in the V4 steel with 0.16% V, according to hydrogen permeation results. It also reduced the possibility of hydrogen atoms diffusing into the sites of harmful defects such as large-size oxides and elongated MnS inclusions, where cracks were caused more easily. In addition, the V3 steel with 0.12% V, containing the largest number of vanadium carbide particles of less than 60 nm, had the lowest HIC susceptibility.     

Effect of hydrogen on pitting corrosion of 2205 duplex stainless steel under alternating dry/wet marine environment

Stainless steels play an extremely vital role in the field of marine engineering equipment. However, stainless steel products in service are still subject to corrosion from severe environments such as alternating dry/wet condition and damage caused by hydrogen introduced during heat treatment or cathodic protection. Under alternating dry/wet marine environment, the synergistic effect of hydrogen and corrosion can influence the corrosion resistance of stainless steels dramatically. In this work, the corrosion behavior and mechanism of 2205 duplex stainless steel under alternating dry/wet marine environment are investigated before and after hydrogen charging using electrochemical testing, component characterization and morphological observation. The results show that the open circuit potential, film resistance and breakdown potential all reduce and the passive current density increases after 12 h hydrogen charging. The ratio of Fe³⁺ and O²⁻/OH⁻ decreases. The components of the hydrogen charged passive film alter and the performance deteriorates. The number of surface pits increases after 12 h hydrogen charging and additional 10 d alternating dry/wet corrosion. The pitting potential drops much lower. Consequently, The synergistic effect of high concentrations of Cl⁻ in the thin liquid film and hydrogen accelerates the destruction of the passive film, further reducing the corrosion resistance of stainless steels.     

Analysis of electrochemical hydrogen permeation through X-65 pipeline steel and its implications on pipeline stress corrosion cracking

Electrochemical hydrogen permeation tests were performed to measure the hydrogen permeation current through the X-65 pipeline steel in the electrolytes simulating the soil conditions to initiate near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in pipelines. The hydrogen permeation current was analyzed following the constant concentration model. It is shown that, AQDS, simulating the organic compound in the soil, inhibits hydrogen permeation by decreasing the sub-surface hydrogen concentration, while sulfide promotes hydrogen permeation by inhibiting the hydrogen recombination and thus increasing the sub-surface hydrogen concentration. The steel specimen is more susceptible to stress corrosion cracking in the soil solution with a higher sub-surface hydrogen concentration, indicating that hydrogen is involved in near-neutral pH SCC in pipelines. It is suggested that hydrogen promotes the cracking of the steel, accompanying with the anodic dissolution on the crack sides and at the crack tip.     

First-principles analysis of electrochemical hydrogen storage behavior for hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film in high-capacity proton battery

Silicon material electrodes as proton carriers for high-capacity proton battery have only been proposed for such a short period of time that their physicochemical properties and electrochemical hydrogen storage behavior during charge and discharge processes remain nearly uncharted territory. Herein, the hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film electrodes are prepared by radio frequency sputtering followed by ex-situ hydrogenation. The electrochemical properties of a-Si:H electrodes are tested experimentally, and the electrochemical hydrogen storage behaviors of a-Si:H electrodes are analyzed by first-principles calculations. The results show that the hydrogenation process significantly increases the electrochemical capacity of the electrodes and reduces the band gap of the electrode structure. The electrode exhibits weak conductivity during the initial charging, but the instability of the electrode electronic structure during the later charging results in a slight fluctuation of the electrochemical charging process. The a-Si:H electrode have better electrochemical hydrogen storage/release reversibility than non-hydrogenated electrodes, but this reversibility is weakened by oxygen atoms covered on the electrode surface. The electrochemical hydrogen storage process is easier to accomplish than the electrochemical desorption process of hydrogen evolution reaction for the a-Si:H electrodes. The a-Si:H thin film electrode is more stable on the Ni(111) substrate surface and the good conductivity of the electrode/substrate interface provides convenient conditions for the free transport of electrons in the electrochemical charge/discharge processes. We believe that these results perfectly explain the microscopic mechanisms responsible for the electrode reaction and electrochemical behavior of a-Si:H electrodes in this type of proton battery, and have a certain reference value in understanding the physicochemical properties and electrochemical hydrogen storage behavior of silicon material electrodes applied to other types of batteries during charge/discharge processes.