An examination of the electrochemical characteristics of two stainless steels (UNS S32654 and UNS S31603) under liquid-solid impingement

The erosion-corrosion resistance of high alloy stainless steel UNS S32654 and standard stainless steel UNS S31603 has been assessed under liquid-solid impingement conditions. The electrochemical characteristics of the two stainless steels have been examined via free corrosion potential measurements, anodic polarisation, linear polarisation and potentiostatic control in erosion-corrosion.It has been shown in this paper that high alloy stainless steel UNS S32654 exhibits better corrosion and erosion-corrosion performance than lower grade alloy UNS S31603. A general linear relationship between two electrochemical parameters (E_corr and R_p) has been shown in this study. A critical solid loading between 60 and 100 mg/l, at which there is a transition from corrosion to erosion-corrosion for the two stainless steels under different conditions, has been determined.     

Investigation of erosion-corrosion mechanisms of UNS S31603 using FIB and TEM

Accelerated wear due to synergy during erosion-corrosion of UNS S31603 is extremely complex. It is this reason that current modelling approaches fail to accurately model the physical mechanisms in this wear process. The objective of this work was to perform FIB and TEM analysis on UNS S31603 to investigate the subsurface deformation mechanisms and microstructural changes in the material during erosion-corrosion. FIB investigation revealed a decrease in grain size at the surface and a change in grain orientation towards the impact direction. Networks of cracks were observed near the surface which is believed to be caused by work hardening of the material which increased the material susceptibility to fatigue cracking. Folding of lips is also proposed as an important mechanism for subsurface wear. The large amount of strain imposed on the material also induced martensitic phase transformation. Fragmented erodent particles and oxide film were found embedded into the material which caused formation stress concentrated regions in the material and contributed to crack initiation. A composite structure is formed consisting silicon oxide sand particles and chromium oxide film along with the martensitic phase transformed metal. The corrosive environment is also believed to have played a significant role in the initiation and propagation of cracks. Crack initiation and propagation due to the mechanical and electrochemical processes enhances the material mass loss as the crack networks coalesce and subsequently cause material spalling. Physical models are developed based on these observations to explain the microstructural changes and synergistic mechanisms.     

Full factorial investigation on the erosion-corrosion resistance of UNS S31603

The interactions that occur when erosion and corrosion act simultaneously are extremely complex and are often difficult to interpret. These interactions generate either a synergistic or antagonistic material loss effect for a particular material in a certain environment. The level of interaction between impact energy, number of impacts, fluid temperature, material properties, fluid flow and electrochemical properties severely complicates the analysis of erosion-corrosion wear rates. This paper investigates the interaction between the main parameters influencing erosion-corrosion. A combination of statistical analysis and interaction contour plots has been employed to obtain in-depth understanding of the variables influencing erosion-corrosion, namely particle velocity, sand size, sand concentration and fluid temperature. An empirical equation has been derived from test results to describe the relationship between the test parameters. Analysis of the residuals versus predicted erosion-corrosion shows a normalized distribution and thereby confirms the suitability of this model. Velocity was found to have the strongest influence on erosion-corrosion rate followed by sand concentration, temperature and finally sand size, which had the least significant effect. SEM surface features show that the increase in sand concentration causes the surface to be covered with a higher number of impact craters and lips indicating a linear relationship between the two. The SEM micrographs also show that the increase in sand size produces deeper craters and more prominent lips compared to fine sized particles where the particles tend to graze the surface without sufficient kinetic energy to plastically deform the material surface.     

Erosion-corrosion of candidate HVOF aluminium-based marine coatings

This paper describes gravimetric results of HVOF sprayed commercially pure Al and Al/12% Si eutectic alloy coatings obtained under erosion-corrosion conditions. The performance of these coatings are compared to a hot-dipped zinc coating. These coatings have been applied to AISI 1020 carbon steel substrates and tested in a free jet impingement rig with a variety of fluids and slurries to enable the erosion and corrosion contributions to the total erosion-corrosion removal of the surface to be determined. Tests have been conducted at 30° and 90° jet impingement angles at jet velocities of 3.5 m/s.Erosion damage mechanisms are identified and the erosion-corrosion mass loss results discussed in terms of the contributions made by erosion and corrosion. Zinc was found to suffer severely from flow corrosion, while the other targets did not. All target materials under sand erosion lose mass in a way directly proportional to kinetic energy, and inversely related to hardness. Corrosion losses are relatively small while the generation of solid products sometimes results in net weight gains. There are greater mass losses at nominally normal incidence than at nominally oblique incidence, due to particle interference effects. Synergy is found to be both positive and negative and appears to be angle dependent, but is difficult to determine precisely.     

Relationship between the effects of velocity and alloy corrosion resistance in erosion-corrosion environments at elevated temperatures

Erosion-corrosion by either solid particle or liquid impact occurs in a wide variety of industrial environments which range from coal conversion processes to steam turbines in nuclear power generation. The effects of erosion-corrosion depend on properties of the particle, the target and the nature of the corrosion environment. Various regimes of erosion-corrosion interaction have been identified, ranging from “erosion-dominated” (erosion of the substrate) to “corrosion-dominated” (erosion of the corrosion product).

In studies of erosion-corrosion, the effects of impact velocity are generally not well understood. In some environments in which corrosion occurs, high velocity exponents have been reported, while, in others, the values are close to 1. In addition, the effects of alloy corrosion resistance in environments of different velocities have been puzzling with differences in the exponents reported, as alloy corrosion resistance is increased.

This paper considers the effect of velocity for various erosion-corrosion studies from the literature. The effects of alloy corrosion resistance for such results are evaluated. Some general provisos for the interpretation of the effects of velocity will be made for alloys of different corrosion resistance in erosion-corrosion environments. It is shown that relative erosion-corrosion resistance of alloys in one environment cannot be used arbitrarily to predict resistance in other environments, particularly if parameters such as velocity are varied significantly.     

Effect of Volume Fraction of Primary Alpha Phase on Solid Particle Erosion Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

The present article evaluates the influence of independent control factors such as percentage of primary alpha phase, impact velocity, impingement angle, and erodent size on solid particle erosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using a statistical approach. Microstructural variation in terms of different percentage of primary alpha phase of investigated alloy has been introduced by solution annealing it at different temperatures followed by thermal aging. Solid particle erosion tests have been carried out using a sand blast–type test rig following an experimental schedule based on Taguchi's orthogonal arrays. It is observed that erosion rate and the value of percentage elongation decreased with an increase in the content of primary alpha phase from 10 to 20% and then increased for the value corresponding to the content of 30% primary alpha phase in this alloy. We observed that the solid particle erosion behavior of the investigated alloy consisting of various percentages of primary alpha phase is related to their ductility. Among all four control factors, impact velocity of the erodent has been found to be the most significant control factor influencing the solid particle erosion behavior of this alloy followed by impingement angle, percentage of primary alpha phase, and erodent size. Impact velocity has greatest static influence of 91.35%, impingement angle has an influence of 4.69%, percentage of primary alpha phase has an influence of 2.28%, and erodent size has an influence of 0.42% on solid particle erosion having R² = 0.99. Material loss during solid particle erosion of this alloy was found to be ductile in nature. Ploughing or pile-up leading to platelet formation is the primary mechanism of material loss during erosion of the alloy.     

Erosion-corrosion interactions and their effect on marine and offshore materials

Increasingly the demands of modern fluid handling systems are for low costs with increased reliability and longevity along with no loss of fluid containment. These cannot be achieved without minimising the material damage caused by the combined surface degradation mechanisms of erosion and corrosion when systems are handling solids or are cavitating. This paper reviews the rationale behind the selection of erosion resistance surfaces for fluid handling equipment and highlights the complexities encountered when these surfaces are exposed to environments which contain sand particles or cavitation in a corrosive medium. The erosion and erosion-corrosion performance of a variety of coatings and bulk surfaces are discussed using volume loss rate versus sand impact energy maps. Synergistic terms are identified using standard deviation ratios of electrochemical current noise. Recent researches on the erosion-corrosion of coatings of aluminium, cermets and nickel aluminium bronze are reviewed as candidates for erosion-corrosion resistant surfaces. Electrochemical techniques designed to monitor the erosion-corrosion mechanisms and coating integrity are used to quantify the synergistic terms present when both erosion and corrosion act simultaneously.     

Evaluation of a semi-empirical model in predicting erosion–corrosion

The phenomenon of erosion–corrosion has been studied extensively by various investigators but no accurate model has been developed to predict the interactions between erosion and corrosion. This is mainly attributed to the complexity of the interactions that generate either a synergistic or antagonistic wear effect for a particular material in a certain environment. A semi-empirical model has recently been developed at the University of Southampton which incorporates dynamic Hertzian contact mechanics to model the damage during particle impact and accommodates the effect of erodent deforming the surface leading to an increased corrosion activity. The model was found to have good agreement with erosion–corrosion rates of carbon steel. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the robustness of this semi-empirical model by testing it on a passive metal. UNS S31603 was chosen due to its inherent passivity to corrosion. A slurry pot erosion tester was used as the test rig to perform the experiments. It was found that this passive metal produces high synergistic levels when exposed to erosion–corrosion in 0.3 M HCl with variation in erodent concentrations and flow velocities. SEM and surface profilometry show typical ductile material behaviour with cutting mechanism and deformation mechanism occurring simultaneously. A wear map is presented and it is observed that the increase in velocity and sand concentration causes the material to shift from a corrosion–erosion dominated region to an erosion–corrosion dominated region. This paper will also evaluate the semi-empirical model and discuss its applicability in predicting erosion–corrosion.     

Particle concentration and size effects on the erosion-corrosion of pure metals in aqueous slurries

In previous studies of erosion-corrosion, several different theories have been developed to produce a model which represents the relationship between particle erosion and chemical corrosion. Regimes in the models define how the two mechanisms behave relative to one another, whether it is erosion dominated, corrosion dominated. This paper investigates the effect of particle and target material on the erosion-corrosion mechanisms. The performance of Fe as the target material will be modelled when considering particle concentration and size. A comparison is made between the erosion-corrosion mechanisms of Fe, Ni, Al and Cu under different conditions of particle size and concentration. By producing several maps, the regimes and wastage rates predicted as functions of velocity and applied potential will be discussed.     

Corrosion–erosion wear behaviors of 13Cr24Mn0.44N stainless steel in saline–sand slurry

The corrosion–erosion wear behaviors of austenitic stainless steels, 316L and 13Cr24Mn0.44N, were investigated in water–sand slurry and saline–sand slurry, respectively. The corrosion–erosion wear mass-loss was measured to evaluate the influence of medium and materials. The worn surface and corrosion–erosion wear mechanism were analyzed using a scanning electron microscopy and a non-contact optical profilometer. Results show that the corrosion–erosion wear mass-loss of 13Cr24Mn0.44N is lower than that of 316L in both the slurries. The relative wear resistance increases with the increasing of the impingement velocity and arrives at maximum of 1.6. The dominant wear mechanism of 13Cr24Mn0.44N is abrasive wear in the water–sand slurry, whereas it becomes abrasive wear associated with little corrosive pitting in the saline–sand slurry. As the impingement velocity increased all the synergism ratios exhibit a tendency of increase, among which the synergism ratio of 13Cr24Mn0.44N is always lower than that of 316L at any given velocity. The results indicate that 13Cr24Mn0.44N possesses a predominant anti-corrosion–erosion wear property.     

Erosion-corrosion of chromium steel in a rotating cylinder electrode system: some comments on particle size effects

The effect of particle size on the erosion-corrosion response of a Cr containing steel in NaOH was studied in a rotating cylinder electrode system. The results showed that for the same addition of particles by weight, the corrosion rate in the presence of erosion was independent of particle size. However, the erosion-corrosion rate appeared to be dependent on particle sizes for size ranges from 50 to 100 μm but above this value, this dependence was reduced. Erosion-corrosion mechanism and wastage maps were constructed based on the results showing the variation in erosion-corrosion regimes, as a function of particle size and electrochemical potential.     

Effects of Strain-Induced Martensitic Transformation on the Solid Particle Erosion Behavior of Fe–Cr–C–Ni/Mn Austenitic Alloys

The effects of Ni and Mn concentrations and also the impact velocity on the solid particle erosion behavior of Fe?C12Cr?C0.4C?CxNi/Mn (x?=?5 and 10) alloys were investigated with respect to strain-induced martensitic transformation. The critical strain energy (CSE), which is defined as the energy required to initiate the martensitic transformation increased with increasing Ni and Mn concentrations. As the impact velocity decreased, the solid particle erosion resistance of the low CSE alloy improved compared to that of the high CSE alloy under the given ranges of impingement angles and impact velocities. This result was most likely due to an increase in the volume fraction of martensite that formed during the solid particle erosion test in the low CSE alloy when the impact velocity was decreased.     

Design of a slurry erosion test rig

The design of a jet impingement slurry erosion test rig, built for laboratory use, is presented. This apparatus gives good control over many of the important test parameters, such as impact velocity, solid particle concentration and impact angle. An ejector nozzle is employed to entrain sand particles from a sand bed into a stream of water to form a slurry; after impingement, the abrasive particles and the water phase are separated and recycled. This makes the rig simple, economical and easy to operate and its pump and pipeline remain free from erosive wear. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the operation and performance of the rig.     

The slurry erosive wear of physically vapour deposited TiN and CrN coatings under controlled corrosion

The erosion-corrosion of mild steel (BS6323), in the presence and absence of physically vapour deposited (PVD) TiN and CrN coatings, was studied, in comparison with that of AISI 304 stainless steel, in an aqueous alkaline slurry solution containing alumina particles. The influence of applied potential and particle velocity on the total erosion-corrosion loss was examined, and the respective corrosion and erosion damage (both contributing to the overall weight loss) then assessed by means of microscopical investigation of the morphology of the damaged surface, and subsequently evaluated quantitatively. The superior erosion-corrosion resistance of both the coatings compared to that of the uncoated mild and stainless steels was shown to be due to their resistance to both wear and corrosion. According to the detailed corrosion mechanisms revealed and different responses to wear, schematic diagrams were proposed to outline the main features of the corrosion-erosion process and the individual roles of erosion and corrosion. Discrete differences, in terms of the respective erosion and corrosion processes, between the TiN and CrN coatings, and between the mild and stainless steels, were also investigated and discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Mapping erosion-corrosion of carbon steel in oil exploration conditions: Some new approaches to characterizing mechanisms and synergies

Erosion by solid particles in oil/water slurries is a technologically important area. In such conditions, it is necessary to distinguish between the effects of the sand, aqueous environment, and the oil. Erosion-corrosion maps provide a means of identification between erosion-corrosion regimes as a function of erosion and corrosion parameters. However, there has been no work carried out to map the effects of parameters in oil/water slurries. This paper investigates the effect of erosion-corrosion on carbon steel in oil field production and maps the results. Distinctions between “synergistic” and “additive” erosion-corrosion behaviour are superimposed on the maps in the various environments.     

Measurement of erosion due to particle impingement and numerical prediction of wear in pump casing

Erosion damage of wear-resistant materials due to sand particle impingement is measured and correlated based on Bitter's erosion model to clarify the effects of particle impinging velocity and angle, particle size and concentration on the wear. Using the empirical formula for the correlation and calculating impinging velocities of sand particles on a casing wall of a pump, successive erosion of the wall is numerically calculated to demonstrate the viability of the prediction method proposed in our previous study.     

Effect of sliding wear on tribocorrosion behaviour of stainless steels in a Ringer's solution

The dependence of the tribocorrosion of stainless steels AISI 304L and SS 3M^® orthodontic archwires sliding against corundum in a Ringer's solution on applied normal force, and sliding velocity, has been investigated using in situ electrochemical noise measurements. Applied normal force and sliding velocity were found to greatly affect current and potential during fretting-corrosion. An increase in normal force and sliding velocity induce an increase in current and a decrease in potential accelerating the depassivation rate of the tested stainless steels. The fluctuations in potential and current during fretting-corrosion are more pronounced at increasing sliding frequency than at increasing applied normal force. Sliding wear affects the repassivation behaviour of the tested materials by increasing the anodic current in the wear track area.     

Effect of impact angle on the slurry erosion–corrosion of 304L stainless steel

This communication describes an investigation of the effect of impact angle on slurry erosion–corrosion of stainless steel using a new slurry erosion rig. With the new apparatus, it is possible to measure the individual erosion events under impact as both electrochemical current/time transients, and mechanical transients through acoustic emission (AE) simultaneously. Each sharp rise observed in the electrochemical current transient under particle impact is accompanied by an AE event. These sharp current rises are attributed to the rupture or removal of the oxide film on the surface by the abrasive particles. The correlation between the current rise and the maximum of the AE event, although scattered, shows an increase with decreasing impact angle. The current transients due to individual erosion events show that on the average, the current rise is greater and the rise time is longer at oblique angles compared with those at normal incidence. The degree of denudation of the metal surface by individual particle impingements, the process which strips the surface of its passivity, increases at more oblique angles. Weight loss measurements demonstrate that the synergistic effect between erosion and corrosion is enhanced by a more oblique angle of impact. The origin of the synergism is discussed.     

Analysis of interlaboratory test results of solid particle impingement erosion

During the development of a standard method for solid particle impingement erosion testing of materials, a number of interlaboratory test comparisons were conducted. In this paper the results of four test series involving twelve laboratories in total are described. The measurements were carried out with considerable care using the gas jet type of erosion tester, involving nearly the same conditions and test parameters on two different materials, a low carbon steel and a stainless steel. The final results indicated a high degree of within-laboratory precision and a moderate degree of between-laboratory precision of erosion loss determinations. A need for standard materials was identified to control sources of measurement bias between laboratories. The principal source of random error in these studies was believed to be associated with the measurements of particle impact velocity.     

Erosion–corrosion behavior of Zr-based bulk metallic glass in saline-sand slurry

Bulk metallic glass (BMG) is supposed to have a good erosion–corrosion (E–C) resistance due to its high hardness and good corrosion resistance. To reveal the E–C behavior, Zr₅₅Cu₃₀Ni₁₀Al₅·BMG is investigated using a slurry pot erosion tester. Experimental results show the volume loss rate of BMG increases with an increase in the particle size, sand concentration or impact velocity. The corrosion current density and the synergism rate increase with the increasing impact velocity. During E–C process, the surface microstructure transforms gradually from pure amorphous to composite mixture of crystalline and amorphous phases. The E–C resistance of BMG is better than that of 304 stainless steel, but not as expected as its high hardness.