1997 Volume 83 Issue 10 Pages 653-658
Very narrow chromium (Cr) depletions with widths below 10nm were produced by a heat treatment which controlled a growth of Cr carbides at a grain boundary (GB) in type 304 stainless steel. A Correlation between the Cr depletion profile and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) susceptibility in a high temperature water was investigated. IGSCC susceptibility was affected especially by the Cr concentration as compared with the Cr depletion width at GB. The susceptibility increased at the Cr concentration below about 15mass%. No IGSCC susceptibility was observed when there was no Cr depletion at GB. The above mentioned results in heat treated materials almost corresponded with that in neutron irradiated materials.
