A model to predict the evolution of pitting corrosion and the pit-to-crack transition incorporating statistically distributed input parameters

A model based on deterministic equations with statistically distributed input parameters has been developed for simulating the evolution of the pit depth distribution at different exposure times and the percentage of pits that transform to stress corrosion cracks. The model has been applied to the specific case of steam turbine disc steel exposed to a range of environments under applied stress. With preliminary fitting at one exposure time, the simulation not only reflects the trends in the experimental measurement but also the model, uniquely, reproduces the statistical variability or “noise” associated with the measurements.     

Correlation of meso- and micro-scale hardness measurements with the pitting of plastically-deformed Type 304L stainless steel

Short lengths of circular section Type 304L stainless steel were cut from a pipe and compressed into an oval shape using controlled conditions. Heterogeneous strain hardening in the range 0-25% was thus introduced into the material. The mechanical deformation process was modelled using ABAQUS finite element modelling software to calculate the distributions of strain hardening and residual stress throughout a typical specimen. Samples were then exposed to an environment intended to induce pitting over the surfaces. Correlation between the computer model and the observed pitting was obtained. Finally, micro- and meso-scale hardness measurements were made on similarly deformed specimens and found to correlate well with the FE results. It was concluded that pitting was associated with regions of greatest equivalent plastic strain and showed little relation to the regions of high tensile residual stress. An empirical relationship between the Vickers Hardness number and the equivalent plastic strain is determined.     

Novel images of the evolution of stress corrosion cracks from corrosion pits

SCC in turbine disc steels exposed to simulated steam-condensate tends to nucleate preferentially from corrosion pit precursors. The evolution of these cracks is not straightforward and not well understood. In this work, unique three-dimensional X-ray microtomographic images have confirmed that cracks develop predominantly at the shoulder of the pit, near the pit/surface interface, for specimens stressed to 50–90% σ_0.2. In support of this observation, FEA of model pits indicate that strain is a maximum on the pit wall just below the pit mouth. Implications of these observations for the pit-to-crack transition and predictive-modelling of crack nucleation and growth are discussed.     

A numerical study of damage caused by combined pitting corrosion and axial stress in steel pipes

Localized pipe wall damage accounts for many failures. Numerical modelling of pipes under increasing axial load and constant internal pressure when there is corrosion pits on the exterior surface of the pipe is reported herein. It is shown that for the assumed ideal elastic–plastic material the shape and volume of the plastic field depend on pit depth and its geometry. Pipe wall fracture around a pit can be associated with a critical plastic section. The results reported herein should be relevant for estimating of the risk of perforation and of loss of contents for steel pipes under different loading.     

Mechanical behaviour of SSRT specimens optimized for IGSCC concerns

Simulating testing conditions leading to evaluate the intergranular stress corrosion cracking sensitivity of structural alloys is crucial to estimate the lifetime of in-service components. Former studies have pointed out that a simple modification of the design of slow strain rate tensile specimens was particularly convenient for evaluating the susceptibility to intergranular stress corrosion cracking of nickel-base alloys. The aim of the present work is to characterize and model the mechanical behaviour of such specimens. Validation of proposed modelling relies mainly on tensile tests carried on specimens equipped with strain gages. One of the striking results is that, for a given displacement rate of the heads of the specimen, a much slower strain rate can be obtained locally in comparison with the strain rate of an equivalent smooth specimen.     

Environmental embrittlement of automobile spring steels caused by wet-dry cyclic corrosion in sodium chloride solution

The susceptibility to environmental embrittlement (EE) of automobile spring steels was investigated using six different steels. Slow strain rate tensile test and thermal desorption spectroscopic analysis were applied to specimens subjected to wet-dry cyclic corrosion tests in a NaCl solution. Experimental results revealed that the reduction in ductility after the corrosion tests was pronounced with increasing strength level. This degradation was closely associated with the resistance to pitting corrosion. Consequently, the hydrogen absorbed in steel and the corrosion pit as a geometric damage were responsible for the EE of spring steels. The hydrogen in rust layer had no significant influence on the EE.     

电化学充氢条件下TWIP钢应力腐蚀敏感性的研究

通过慢应变速率拉伸和观察断口形貌等方法,研究了TWIP钢在电化学充氢条件下的应力腐蚀敏感性.结果表明,在电化学充氢条件下,TWIP钢具有应力腐蚀敏感性.恒定应变速率6.67×10-6 s-1时,具有单向奥氏体结构的TWIP钢有较小的应力腐蚀敏感性,具有形变孪晶的TWIP钢有较高的应力腐蚀敏感性.这是因为孪晶的形成导致氢在局部浓度更高,因而促进了局部塑性变形,降低了内氢压,导致TWIP钢的应力腐蚀敏感性上升.     

Anisotropic 3D growth of corrosion pits initiated at MnS inclusions for A537 steel during corrosion fatigue

The 3D growth behaviour of pits initiated at MnS inclusions for A537 steel under cyclic load condition has been investigated by confocal scanning laser microscope and finite element analysis. The results indicated the growth of pit for cyclic-stressed samples showed anisotropic behaviour. Significant higher growth rate was found in the direction perpendicular to load axis. Finite element analysis indicated that localized plastic strain played an important role on pit growth. The growth kinetics of pit in width direction is dominated by plastic deformation. Coalescences of pits further increase the growth rate of pit as predicted by finite element analysis.     

Grain boundary structure and intergranular stress corrosion crack initiation in high temperature water of a thermally sensitised austenitic stainless steel,observed in situ

The development of an intergranular stress corrosion crack initiation site in thermally sensitised type 304 austenitic stainless steel has been observed in situ in high temperature oxygenated water using digital image correlation of time-resolved optical observations. The grain boundary normal stresses were calculated using the Schmid-Modified Grain Boundary Stress (SMGBS) model of Was et al., applying three-dimensional data for the grain boundary planes and grain orientations. The initiation site coincided with the most highly stressed sensitised boundary, demonstrating the importance of the combined contributions to crack initiation of grain boundary structure and plastic strain incompatibility.     

A novel accelerated corrosion test for exhaust systems by means of power ultrasound

Cycling corrosion tests have been performed to simulate corrosion conditions in the cold end of an automotive exhaust system. A middle range 1.4512 (AISI 409) stainless steel is submitted to a conventional dip dry test (DDT) parallel to a similar test but including an additional external stress thanks to an ultrasonic transducer. This new ultrasonic test (so called UST) is expected to reduce the diagnostic time of the corrosion test by the combined action of the chemical corrosion process and of mechanical degradations. Both corrosion tests are performed in two different media in order to simulate internal corrosion due to exhaust gas condensate and external cosmetic corrosion, greatly enhanced by road salt during winter. It respectively concerns a synthetic gas condensate, the composition of which is derived from what is obtained from motor gasoline combustion, and NaCl solution. In both electrolytes the stainless steel suffers from pitting corrosion. Samples are examined by optical micrography and surface profilometry. The degradation state is quantified according to three parameters: maximum pit depth, average pit diameter and porosity rate. The efficiency of each test is then related to the time of immersion. As expected, use of ultrasound allows pits growth to be achieved from the beginning of the exposure time, so that the maximum pit depth recorded after 180 h of immersion is twice than with the classical dip dry test. It seems that it does not modify the pit initiation mechanism but only increases growth kinetics.     

A simple model for slow strain rate and constant load corrosion tests of austenitic stainless steel in acid aqueous solution containing sodium chloride

The present paper is concerned with the modelling of both slow strain rate and constant load tests of austenitic steels in acid solutions containing sodium chloride at room temperature. In a phenomenological approach, based upon thermodynamics of continuum solids and elasto-viscoplastic damage, besides the classical variables (stress, total strain, and plastic strain), an additional scalar variable related to the damage induced by stress corrosion is introduced. An evolution law depending on the corrosive environment parameters is proposed for this damage variable. The model prediction is compared with curves obtained experimentally considering different strain rates in different solutions showing a good agreement.     

Effects of compressive stress on localized corrosion in AA2024-T3

The effect of compressive stress on intergranular corrosion (IGC) of AA2024-T3 was studied using a constant load and simultaneous electrochemical measurement. A specially designed electrochemical cell was used to compress a pillar-shaped sample and control the potential at a value that promoted IGC. The extent of IGC was assessed by metallurgical cross-sectional images. The effect of the compressive stress depended on the orientation of the stress relative to the elongated microstructure. Application of a compressive stress halfway to yield in the S or through-thickness direction significantly reduced the growth kinetics of IGC in the longitudinal direction, but did not eliminate it totally. The strain change during exposure also was used to quantify the change in radius of the cylindrical sample as a function of time during IGC growth. The effect of compression on reducing IGC was also assessed by the current density measured during potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization. The effects of residual compressive stress on IGC were studied using samples treated by low plastic burnishing (LPB), which produces a surface layer with high residual compressive stress. The results depended on the plane of the LPB treatment. A micro-capillary cell was used to measure corrosion behavior at different zones of the section of an LPB-treated sample. The breakdown potential was significantly higher in the zone with residual compressive stress than in the interior of the sample.     

Effect of stress on electrochemical characteristics of pre-cracked ultrahigh strength stainless steel in acid sodium sulphate solution

The electrochemical behaviors of ultrahigh strength stainless steel Cr12Ni5MoCo14 at crack tip under applied stress were studied by micro-electrochemical measurements as well as finite element analysis. The non-uniform distribution of the stress and strain induces a higher electrochemical activity at crack tip and promotes the anodic dissolution rate. The corrosion rate increases with increasing applied stress. In the elastic stress range, the effect of the applied stress on the electrochemical behaviors of Cr12Ni4Mo2Co14 steel is small. In the plastic stress range, the plastic deformation has a dramatic effect on the mechanical–electrochemical interaction and enhances the anodic activity.     

Pitting corrosion of 304ss nanocrystalline thin film

Pitting corrosion behavior of coarse crystalline (CC) 304ss and its nanocrystalline (NC) thin film have been investigated by electrochemical measurement and in situ AFM observation in 3.5% NaCl solution. Results show two effects of nanocrystallization on pitting corrosion behavior: (1) more frequent occurrence of metastable pits, but with lower probability of transition to stable pits, which is attributable to differences in morphologies of sulfur and manganese as well as outstanding repassivation ability of NC thin film; (2) nanocrystallization decreases stable pit generation rate and its propensity to form larger pit cavities, and modifies the morphology of stable pit cavity.     

Environmental factors affecting the corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel III. Measurement of pitting corrosion currents of steel in Ca(OH)2 solutions under natural corrosion conditions

Using a simple electrolytic cell, the pitting corrosion current of reinforcing steel is measured in Ca(OH)₂ solutions in presence of chloride and sulfate as aggressive ions. Pitting corrosion current starts to flow after an induction period which depends on the concentration of both the aggressive and the passivating anions. The pitting corrosion current densities reach steady-state values which depend also on the type and concentration of the corrosive and passivating anions. The corrosive action of the aggressive species decreased in the order: SO₄²⁻ > Cl⁻. Corrosion of the steel is found to be governed by a single electron transfer reaction. Raising the temperature decreases the induction period associated with pit initiation and increases the corrosion current associated with pit propagation. From Arrhenius plots, the activation energies for both pit initiation and pit propagation in presence of chloride and sulfate ions are calculated.     

Intergranular to transgranular transition in the stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloy-4

Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Zircaloy-4 wires was previously studied in 1 M NaCl, 1 M KBr and 1 M KI aqueous solutions and in iodine alcoholic solutions. In all cases, intergranular attack preceded transgranular propagation. It is generally accepted that the intergranular-transgranular transition occurs when a critical value of the stress intensity factor is reached. In the present paper it was confirmed that the transition from intergranular corrosion to transgranular propagation in Zircaloy-4 wires occurs when a critical value of the stress intensity factor is reached. This critical stress intensity factor in wire samples is independent of the solution tested and close to 11 MPa m^−1/2. This value is in good agreement with those reported in the literature measured by different techniques and with different specimen geometries.     

Investigation of the surface reactivity on a 304L tensile notched specimen using scanning electrochemical microscopy

Local electrochemical reactivity around a notched tensile sample of 304L stainless steel under applied stress was investigated using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The plastic strain field around the notch was evaluated by finite element model (FEM). Microscopic observations of local plasticity related to grain morphology were correlated with the effective plastic strain field calculated with FEM around the notch root. Numerical results, surface observations and experimental electrochemical investigations showed the significant effect of plastic strain gradient on the surface reactivity. The effect of roughness induced by the triaxial plastic strain field around the notch was investigated with surface topography measurements.     

The effect of prior deformation on stress corrosion cracking growth rates of Alloy 600 materials in a simulated pressurized water reactor primary water

The effect of prior deformation on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) growth rates of Alloy 600 materials in a simulated pressurized water reactor primary water environment is studied. The prior deformation was introduced by welding procedure or by cold working. Values of Vickers hardness in the Alloy 600 weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) and in the cold worked (CW) Alloy 600 materials are higher than that in the base metal. The significantly hardened area in the HAZ is within a distance of about 2-3 mm away from the fusion line. Electron backscatter diffraction (EPSD) results show significant amounts of plastic strain in the Alloy 600 HAZ and in the cold worked Alloy 600 materials. Stress corrosion cracking growth rate tests were performed in a simulated pressurized water reactor primary water environment. Extensive intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) was found in the Alloy 600 HAZ, 8% and 20% CW Alloy 600 specimens. The crack growth rate in the Alloy 600 HAZ is close to that in the 8% CW base metal, which is significantly lower than that in the 20% CW base metal, but much higher than that in the as-received base metal. Mixed intergranular and transgranular SCC was found in the 40% CW Alloy 600 specimen. The crack growth rate in the 40% CW Alloy 600 was lower than that in the 20% CW Alloy 600. The effect of hardening on crack growth rate can be related to the crack tip mechanics, the sub-microstructure (or subdivision of grain) after cross-rolling, and their interactions with the oxidation kinetics.     

Use of inkjet printing to deposit magnesium chloride salt patterns for investigation of atmospheric corrosion of 304 stainless steel

Inkjet printing was used to deposit MgCl₂ salt patterns on 304 stainless steel foils to investigate atmospheric corrosion. Results were found to be more consistent if initial hydration (1 h at ∼90% RH) of the printed salt pattern was carried out. The pit diameter following exposure at 45% RH and 300 K for 24 h was found to increase with the diameter of the original salt deposit, which is consistent with the idea of cathodic limitation of the pit current. For a constant deposition area, the pit diameter increases with increased salt deposition density, which may be associated with a lower ohmic drop resulting from a higher droplet, or could be influenced by enhanced corrosion during the initial hydration stage.     

Impact of transient chemistry on the corrosion potential of a steam turbine disc steel

The adoption of two-shifting in coal-fired power generation (switching from on-load to off-load conditions on a daily basis and off-load for the weekend) results in regular cycling of the solution chemistry of the condensed steam on the turbine discs. A first stage investigation has been made of the effect of such chemistry cycling on the corrosion potential of the disc steel. The corrosion potential is typically about +0.05 V (SCE) in off-load chemistry (aerated pure water) and below −0.6 V (SCE) in on-load chemistry (deaerated solution containing chloride or chloride and sulphate anions). The critical observation was the sluggish response of the corrosion potential upon restoration of deaerated on-load conditions with the implication of a likely increase in pit and stress corrosion crack development.