Investigation of coated FeCr steels for application as solid oxide fuel cell interconnects under dual-atmosphere conditions

Dual-atmosphere conditions are detrimental for the ferritic stainless steel interconnects used in solid oxide fuel cells, resulting in non-protective oxide scale growth on the air side. In this paper, low-cost steels AISI 441 and AISI 444 and the tailor-made Crofer 22 APU, were investigated at 800 °C and 600 °C under dual-atmosphere conditions: air-3%H₂O on one side and Ar-5%H₂-3%H₂O on the other side. At 800 °C, the uncoated and Ce/Co-coated steels formed protective layers of (Cr,Mn)₃O₄/Cr₂O₃ and (Co,Mn)₃O₄/Cr₂O₃ respectively on the air side after 336 h. However, at 600 °C, the Ce/Co-coated AISI 441 and AISI 444 showed ∼20–25 μm thick Fe₂O₃/(Fe,Cr)₃O₄ oxide scale on the air side after 336 h. Ce/Co coated Crofer 22 APU remained protective after 772 h at 600 °C, indicating better resistance to the dual-atmosphere. The effect of Ce/Co coatings on the air side and the need for coatings on the fuel side are discussed and compared with experimental data.     

DEIS evaluation of the relative effective surface area of AISI 304 stainless steel dissolution process in conditions of intergranular corrosion

The results presented in this paper contribute further information concerning examinations of AISI 304 stainless steel dissolution process in conditions of proceeding intergranular corrosion (IG) which have been determined on the basis of dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS) measurements. For the first time changes of the relative effective surface area versus time of AISI 304 stainless steel dissolution process in conditions of proceeding intergranular corrosion (IG) in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ + 0.01 M KSCN solution within the range of reactivation polarization scan have been demonstrated. The assessment of the effective surface area of the investigated process was based on approximation to theory of iron dissolution in sulfuric acid medium according to the shape of instantaneous impedance spectra recorded by means of DEIS technique. As a result, it was possible to evaluate that initially changes of the employed equivalent circuit parameters are not only caused by the changes of the relative effective surface area but also by the changes of the AISI 304 SS dissolution process kinetics. Further progress of the examined process implied that changes of the equivalent circuit parameters are only affected by the changes of the relative effective surface area during proceeding IG. Moreover, it was found that the character of changes of the relative effective surface area in conditions of proceeding IG can be described by exponential function.     

Improving 410NiMo weld metal toughness by PWHT

Highlights of the present study is the importance of choosing suitable temperatures for two stage PWHT to achieve desirable toughness in the weld metals produced by ER 410NiMo filler wire. Weld pads prepared using this filler wire was used for extensive metallurgical characterization of the weld metal. Results indicate by choosing appropriate temperatures for the PWHT, it is possible to obtain toughness in the weld metal which is comparable to the toughness reported for the base metal of similar composition. Good toughness of the weld metal is attributed to the presence of retained austenite in the weld metal. Two stage PWHT that gave excellent toughness for the weld metal was employed for repair of cracked shrouds of a steam turbine in a nuclear power plant. The metallurgical characterization of the mock up weld pad prepared prior to actual repair confirmed that microstructure and hardness of the weld metal are similar to those obtained during the welding procedure development.     

Tribological Performance of Boronized,Nitrided, and Normalized AISI 4140 Steel against Hydrogenated Diamond-Like Carbon-Coated AISI D2 Steel

In the current work, AISI 4140 steel was pack-boronized at 950°C for 3 h and gas-nitrided at 550°C for 72 h. All specimens used in this work were prepared from the same steel bar. A 3-µm-thick diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating (a-C:H) was deposited on the AISI D2 high-carbon, high-chromium, cold-worked tool steel by a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. Normalized, boronized, and nitrided steel pins were tested against DLC-coated AISI D2 steel at various normal loads (15, 30, 60, and 80 N) for 1,000 and 3,000 m sliding distance in ambient air. Specific wear rate of all pins decreased with increasing load, and a similar trend was observed for the coefficient of friction (COF). Microscopic and energy-dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) analysis confirmed the role of the transfer layer for a low COF with increasing load. At all loads, the specific wear rate of boronized pins was lower than that of the nitrided and normalized pin specimens. Boronized pins showed a specific wear rate in the range of 0.27 × 10^?8 to 0.44 × 10^?8 mm³/Nm and the COF was about 0.1.     

The role of creep and fatigue in determining the high-temperature behaviour of AISI H11 tempered steel for aluminium extrusion dies

The present study was aimed to analyze the effect of loading cycles on the behaviour of the AISI H11 tool steel commonly used for aluminium extrusion dies working at high temperatures and under high, cyclic stresses. A technological test method in which the specimen geometry resembled the mandrel of a hollow extrusion die was developed. Finite element analyses were performed to aid in determining specimen geometry and dimensions as well as the levels of stress to be applied to the specimen so as to replicate the conditions typically encountered by industrial hollow extrusion dies. Tests were performed on a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator by heating the specimen using Joule's effect and by applying loading for up to 6.30 h or till specimen failure. Displacements during the tests at 380, 490, 540 and 580 °C and under the average stresses of 400, 600 and 800 MPa were determined. The specimens were tested under creep (with the load held at a fixed value), fatigue (cyclic loading) and creep–fatigue (cyclic loading with a 3 min dwell-time) loading, thereby allowing a direct comparison between different deforming mechanisms. The results showed that the test could physically simulate the cyclic loading on the hollow die during aluminium extrusion and that the creep condition represented the most severe working condition. In addition, the tests could reveal the interaction between creep and fatigue mechanisms.     

Effects of low-temperature aging on AISI 444 steel

The consequences of aging at 400 and 475 °C on the mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and magnetic properties of the ferritic stainless steel (SS) AISI 444 were investigated. Age hardening was measured as a function of aging time at both temperatures and was found to be more intense at 475 °C. The localized corrosion susceptibility increased, while the impact toughness decreased with aging time. These two effects were also more important at 475 °C. Unlike duplex SSs, AISI 444 did not present any variation in coercive force or Curie temperature with aging time. The effects on the Mössbauer spectra were also determined and analyzed.     

Delayed cracking in plasma nitriding of AISI 420 stainless steel

The phenomenon of delayed cracking in nitrided layers after DC-plasma nitriding of AISI 420 steel has been observed by optical microscopy. Prior to the plasma treatment, the samples were austenitized at 1303 K for 30 min and then oil quenched. Two tempering conditions were assessed: one group was tempered at 673 K, while another group was tempered at 943 K.All samples were subjected to sputtering, in the plasma chamber, to remove the passive oxide layer, under a 1:1 Ar/H₂ atmosphere. Finally, specimens were plasma nitrided at 673 K for 20 h, with a 1/3: N₂/H₂ relation, at a pressure of 6.5 hPa and 700 V bias in the nitriding chamber.The nitrided layers were analyzed initially by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Detailed observations were conducted at frequent and regular intervals under optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with secondary and back-scattered electrons detectors. The results revealed that after an incubation time, even without any external disturbance, cracks are formed and propagate in the nitrided layers. Both groups of samples were equally affected. The presence of precipitated particles and local residual stresses are possible causes of such a phenomenon.     

Determination of susceptibility to intergranular corrosion and electrochemical reactivation behaviour of AISI 316L type stainless steel

In this study, double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (DLEPR) test was applied to determine the degree of sensitization in 316L type stainless steel, where obtained results were correlated with revealed microstructures after oxalic acid test and weight loss measurements of Streicher and Huey acid tests. Best agreement was provided with test parameters which are 1 M H₂SO₄ and 0.005 M KSCN at 0.833 mV/s scan rate at 30 °C. Specimens were classified structurally as absence of chromium carbides - step, no single grain completely surrounded by carbides - dual and one or more grain completely surrounded by carbides - ditch, in the as-etched structure, if the I_r:I_a (×100) ratios were obtained to be between 0 and 0.2, 0.2 and 5.0 and 5.0 and higher, respectively. It was also found that at high KSCN concentrations, reactivation current profile skewed to higher potentials where this was attributed the formation of metastable pits, during the anodic scan of the test procedure.     

丙烷浓度对45钢离子碳氮共渗的影响

首次以丙烷作为供碳剂对45钢进行离子碳氮共渗。利用金相显微镜、X射线衍射仪和显微硬度计研究了丙烷浓度对试样截面形貌、物相组成和表面硬度的影响。结果表明:随丙烷浓度的增加,化合物层厚度和表面硬度均呈现先增大后减小的趋势。当丙烷浓度为1.5%时,510℃离子碳氮共渗4h后,化合物层厚度和表面硬度分别达到最大值40μm和779HV0.05,同时得到以ε相为主,并伴有极少量渗碳体的最优物相组成。当丙烷浓度超过1.5%时,化合物层厚度和表面硬度均下降,这是由于渗碳体相含量随丙烷的增加而增加,并当丙烷浓度为2.5%时渗碳体成为主要物相,从而阻碍了C、N原子向基体内的进一步扩渗。