No abstract

This study is to investigate the phase changes and cold workability after isothermal transformation at 780

Ti-stabilized 11 wt% Cr ferritic stainless steels (FSSs) for automotive exhaust systems have been experienced intergranular corrosion (IC) in some heat-affected zone (HAZ). The effects of sensitizing heat-treatment and silicon on IC were studied. Time-Temperature-Sensitization (TTS) curves showed that sensitization to IC was observed at the steels heat-treated at the temperature lower than 650oC and that silicon improved IC resistance. The sensitization was explained by chromium depletion theory, where chromium is depleted by precipitation of chromium carbide during sensitizing heat-treatment. It was confirmed with the results from the analysis of precipitates as well as the thermodynamical prediction of stable phases. In addition, the role of silicon on IC was explained with the stabilization of grain boundary. In other words, silicon promoted the formation of the grain boundaries with low energy where precipitation was suppressed and consequently, the formation of Cr-depleted zone was retarded. The effect of silicon on the formation of grain boundaries with low energy was proved by the analysis of coincidence site lattice (CSL) grain boundary, which is a typical grain boundary with low energy.

Factors affecting corrosion of stainless steels such as pH, oxidation and redox potential (ORP), soil resistivity, water content of soil, chloride ion concentration, bacteria activity, and corrosion potential have been investigated using soil analysis, bacterial analysis, surfacial analysis, and analysis of corrosion potentials of several stainless steels buried in 8 sites of Seoul metropolitan for one year. Corrosion potential was affected by occurrance of corrosion as well as bacteria activity but the behavior of corrosion potential with time is different depending on occurrance of corrosion and bacteria activity. The main factor affecting corrosion of stainless steels in soil is level of chloride ion concentration which is also a main factor affecting corrosion of stainless steels in chloride containing drinkable water. Furthermore, guideline of stainless steels in drinkable water is concluded to be applicable to that in soil by the results from surfacial analysis.

The effects of alloying elements (Mn, Cr, and C) on the corrosion resistance of steel were examined using weight loss test, polarization test in a sour environment, analysis of rust, and the prediction of stable corrosion product. Carbon was found to improve corrosion resistance after 7-day immersion, while manganese and chromium negatively affected the corrosion resistance of steels during the entire immersion time. The negative effect of manganese and chromium on the corrosion resistance in the sour environment was explained, in that both manganese and chromium were stable as ionic species were dissolved in the sour solution, which was proved by the prediction of stable phases based on phase equilibria. The positive effect of carbon, on the other hand, was due to the formation of amorphous carbon distributed near the metal/rust interface, which may improve the adhesion of the corrosion product to the matrix. This is consistent with not only the formation of adhesive rust on the high carbon-containing steels but also the change in the corrosion behaviour of the high carbon-containing steels, from linear to parabolic behaviour, with time.† (