Accepted Manuscript

Effect of N and C on Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of Austenitic

Fe18Cr10Mn-based Stainless Steels
Young-Sub Yoon, Heon-Young Ha, Tae-Ho Lee, Sangshik Kim
PII: S0010-938X(13)00426-5
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2013.09.014
Reference: CS 5543
To appear in: Corrosion Science
Received Date: 29 June 2013
Accepted Date: 27 September 2013
Please cite this article as: Y-S. Yoon, H-Y. Ha, T-H. Lee, S. Kim, Effect of N and C on Stress Corrosion Cracking
Susceptibility of Austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn-based Stainless Steels, Corrosion Science (2013), doi: http://dx.doi.org/
10.1016/j.corsci.2013.09.014
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Effect of N and C on Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of
Austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn-based Stainless Steels

Young-Sub Yoon
a
, Heon-Young Ha
b
, Tae-Ho Lee
b
and Sangshik Kim
a

a
Dept. of Mat. Sci. and Eng., ReCAPT, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, Korea
b
Advanced Metallic Materials Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, 797
Changwondaero, Seongsangu, Changwon, Gyeongnam, 642-831, South Korea

ABSTRACT
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn alloys with 0.3N,
0.6N and 0.3N0.3C was investigated in aqueous chloride environment using a slow strain
rate test method. The SCC susceptibility of Fe18Cr10Mn alloys in 2M NaCl solution at 50
o
C
under constant anodic potential condition decreased with increase in N content from 0.3 to
0.6 wt%, and with addition of 0.3 wt% C to the Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N alloys. The present study
strongly suggested that the beneficial effects of N and C on the SCC behaviour of
Fe18Cr10Mn alloys would be associated with the resistance to pitting corrosion initiation
and the repassivation kinetics.


Keywords: A. stainless steel; B. polarization; C. pitting corrosion; C. repassivation; C. stress
corrosion cracking;


1. Introduction
In high nitrogen stainless steels (HNS), N and Mn are introduced as austenite-stabilizing
elements in place of Ni making HNS more economical and biocompatible than conventional
300-series austenitic stainless steels [1-7]. Alloying N with a stainless steel matrix has several
advantages, such that N is effective solid-solution strengthener and N enhances grain
boundary strengthening [8]. In addition, N is expected to contribute to steel hardening
through dislocation pinning interactions, and through the change in stacking fault energy
(SFE) [9-10]. N, as a strong austenite stabilizer, reduces the tendency to form ferrite and
deformation-induced ' and martensites. The N addition is also beneficial in improving the
resistance to localised corrosion of stainless steels in various chloride environments [4,12-19].
However, the effects of N on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of stainless
steels are still controversial [12]. Tsai et al. [20] investigated the SCC susceptibility of P900
(Fe18Cr19Mn0.58N) and P900N (Fe18Cr19Mn0.90N) alloys, and they concluded that the
alloy containing higher N content showed the higher resistance to SCC because of its
improved resistance to pitting corrosion. Leinonen et al. [21] reported that alloying N
enhanced passivation of AISI 301 stainless steel, promoting the SCC resistance. The
beneficial effect of N on the SCC susceptibility was also observed in cast duplex stainless
steels (Fe25Cr5Ni3Cu2Mo with N) by Son et al. [22]. An adverse effect of N on the SCC
susceptibility was also reported. Roychowdhury et al. [23] investigated the SCC behaviour of
304LN stainless steels containing 0.08 and 0.16 wt% of N in high temperature pure water
condition, and they presented that the alloy with higher N content showed the higher SCC
susceptibility because the alloyed N improved the grain boundary strengthening. Theus et al.

[24] also reported that the alloyed N showed an adverse effect on the SCC resistance of Fe-
Cr-Ni stainless steels.
The wide application of HNS is limited due to difficulties associated with a pressurised
melting process for HNS manufacturing to insure appreciable N content in the alloy. In order
to reduce the manufacturing cost of HNS, the concept of high interstitial alloy (HIA), that is,
Ni-free Fe-Cr-Mn austenitic stainless steel simultaneously alloyed with C and N, has recently
been proposed [25-30]. C is a strong austenite stabiliser similar to N, and the addition of C to
N-bearing stainless steels would retain the high N content by avoiding the formation of
ferrite during solidification rather than by increasing the N solubility in liquid. Hence, it is
possible to effectively obtain the high N content (up to 0.4 wt%) in stainless steels by the
combined addition of C and N via the conventional melting route without the pressurizing
process. Up to now, however, the development of stainless steels has followed the route of
trying to reduce the C content in the alloys since the added C to stainless steels is prone to
form Cr carbide reducing the resistance to localised corrosion. For this reason, only a limited
work has been conducted on the role of C in solid solution state on the corrosion properties
of stainless steels [28-30]. In a recent investigation on the corrosion properties of C-
containing high N stainless steels, Speidel [31] has reported that C enhances the resistance
against pitting and crevice corrosion of HNS. He further proposed a new formula of pitting
resistance equivalent number (PREN=1[Cr]+3.3[Mo]+20[C]+20[N]+0.5[Mn]-0.25[Ni]
([content in wt%])) for the C-containing HNS. The passive film analysis on HIA showed that
the concentration of Cr in the passive film increased with addition of C and N, thereby
making the passive film more protective [28,29]. The studies on the effect of solutionised C
on the SCC susceptibility of stainless steels are still lacking.
In the present study, the SCC susceptibility of Fe18Cr10Mn-based austenitic stainless
steels with different N contents of 0.3 and 0.6 wt% and with a combined addition of 0.3 wt%

C and 0.3 wt% N was investigated in aqueous chloride solutions using a slow strain rate test
(SSRT). The effects of N and C+N on the SCC susceptibility of the alloys were discussed
based on polarisation responses, micrographic and fractographic observations.


2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials
In this study, Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N, Fe18Cr10Mn0.6N, and Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N0.3C alloys
were investigated, and their chemical compositions are given in Table 1. The alloys were
fabricated utilizing a commercial pressurised induction melting furnace under N
2
pressure of
4 bars for 0.6N alloy and 1 bar for 0.3N and 0.3C0.3N alloys. After homogenisation at 1250
o
C for 2 hours under Ar atmosphere, the ingots were hot-rolled into sheet 4 mm in thickness,
followed by air cooling. Based on the thermodynamic calculation and microstructural
observation, the solutionised temperature was determined. The alloys were solution annealed
at 1000
o
C for 1 hour for 0.3N alloy and 1150
o
C for 1 hour for 0.6N and 0.3C0.3N alloys
and then water-quenched. For the micrographic observation, the alloys were polished up to 1
m using a diamond suspension and etched by using an acetic glycerigia reagent (10 mL
HNO
3
, 10 mL acetic acid, 15 mL HCl, and 2 drops of glycerol). Figure 1 shows scanning
electron microscope (SEM) images of the alloys, which demonstrates that all the alloys have
an austenite single phase with different grain sizes of 28, 53 and 74 m, respectively, in
diameter. No notable carbides and nitrides, but some fine particles throughout the matrix,
were observed for the alloys. High magnification SEM micrographic observation and the
EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analysis were conducted on these particles,
revealing that they were complex non-metallic inclusions (NMI) of MnO
2
and MnS (e.g.,
42.4Mn-26.3O-3.6Si-5.0S, in wt%), as shown in Figure 2. The distribution of those complex
NMIs did not vary with different alloying elements.
2.2. Experimental procedure

In order to evaluate localised corrosion resistance of the alloys, pitting potential (E
pit
)
and repassivation potential (E
rp
) levels of the alloys were measured in aqueous chloride
solutions. For the electrochemical tests, the samples were ground using a SiC paper up to #
2000, and the area exposed (0.13 cm
2
) was controlled using electroplating tape. A three-
electrode cell (a saturated calomel reference electrode (SCE), a Pt plate counter electrode and
a working electrode) was used, and the electrochemical tests were carried out with a
GAMRY reference 600 potentiostat. A cyclic polarisation test was conducted on the alloys in
0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C at a scan rate of 3 mV s
-1
, from which both E
pit
and E
rp
values
were obtained. A linear polarisation test was carried out in 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C at a
scan rate of 1 mV s
-1
, and the E
pit
values of the alloys were measured. Based on the
polarization behaviour, the experimental conditions for the SSRT in the aqueous NaCl
solutions was determined.
The susceptibility to SCC of the alloys was evaluated using an SSRT method on a
constant extension rate test machine (R&B model, T07-025, Figure 3) in accordance with
ASTM G129. For the SSRT, the smooth tensile specimens with a gauge length of 24 mm and
a diameter of 3.8 mm were prepared from 4 mm thick plate parallel to rolling direction. The
SSRTs were carried out in aqueous NaCl solutions at a nominal strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
. The
SSRTs in aqueous chloride environments of 0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C and 2 M NaCl
solution at 50
o
C, respectively, were conducted at a constant anodic applied potential of
+0.05 V

versus corrosion potential (E
corr
). As reference data, the SSRTs were performed on
each specimen in laboratory air at the same strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
. The SEM micrographic and
fractographic analyses were conducted on the SSRTed specimens to identify the mode of
fracture and the SCC mechanisms. The cyclic and linear polarisation tests were conducted at
least in quadruplicate, and the SSRT were performed in duplicate, to confirm the
reproducibility.


3. Results and discussion
3.1. Pitting corrosion resistance
Figure 4 shows the representative cyclic polarisation curves of the alloys measured in
0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C at a potential sweep rate of 3 mV s
-1
. It was noted that the
overall polarisation behaviour of the alloys was similar to each other, such that all the E
corr

values of the alloys were close to -0.39 V
SCE
, and all the alloys exhibited passivity at their
E
corr
levels. The passive current density (i
passive
) levels of the alloys were in a range of 5.9-6.2
A cm
-2
(at -0.1 V
SCE
). The notable difference in the polarisation curves was observed in the
E
pit
and E
rp
levels. An alloys resistance (or probability) to pitting corrosion initiation can be
evaluated using the E
pit
value, and the repassivation tendency (or pitting corrosion extinction
rate) can be assessed based on the E
rp
value. As summarised in Table 2, the average E
pit
level
of 0.3N alloy was 0.0135 V
SCE
, and the E
pit
value markedly increased to 0.2798 V
SCE
for
0.6N alloy. The increase in the resistance to pitting corrosion was attributable to the
increased N content, which is in good agreement with the results of previous researches [6,
12,13,17,31,32]. The addition of 0.3 wt% of C to 0.3N alloy further increased the average
E
pit
level to 0.3413 V
SCE
, which was higher than that of 0.6N alloy. The present results
suggest that the alloying C is also beneficial in improving the resistance to pitting corrosion
like N, and is even more efficient compared to the same amount of N addition. The beneficial
effect of C on the pitting corrosion resistance has been reported by several researchers
[28,29,31,33,34]. From Figure 4, the effects of C and N on the repassivation behaviour are
noteworthy. The average E
rp
level of 0.3N alloy was -0.0971 V
SCE
, and that of 0.6N alloy
was 0.0611 V
SCE
. The E
rp
level of 0.3N0.3C was significantly lower than those of the N-
bearing alloys showing -0.4010 V
SCE
, which was even lower than its E
corr
level.

The E
pit
values of the alloys were also assessed in 2 M NaCl at 50
o
C, as shown in Figure
5. The overall shape of polarisation curve of the alloys showed a strong similarity
irrespective of the content of interstitial alloying elements. The i
passive
values of the alloys
were in the range of 1.2-2.0 A cm
-2
(at -0.2 V
SCE
), and the alloys were passivated at their
E
corr
levels. The E
corr
levels of the alloys were ranging from -0.29 to -0.26 V
SCE
, which
tended to increase with increasing N and C content. As shown in Table 2, the average E
pit

values of 0.3N, 0.6N and 0.3N0.3C alloys were -0.2121, -0.1740 and -0.0582 V
SCE
,
respectively, which confirmed that the E
pit
levels increased with increasing N and C
concentration. In this severely corrosive environment, metastable pitting events were
frequently observed in the passive potential region (between E
corr
and E
pit
) and the passive
potential range of the alloys was relatively small, disabling the E
rp
measurement in this
condition.
The two sets of the polarisation curves demonstrated that both the alloyed N and C
enhanced the E
pit
level, but N and C had different effect on the E
rp
level. N was shown to be
beneficial on the E
rp
level, but C was not. It has been well known that the E
rp
level (or the
repassivation rate) increases with increasing N content [12,13,17,35-37]. Many researchers
explain the promoted repassivation by N alloying in terms of a pH buffering effect of N.
Inside a stable pit, a bare metal surface is exposed to the solution without passive film and
severe dissolution of metal occurs. The solution in the pit acidifies due to the hydrolysis
reaction, and hence the metal dissolution in the pit further accelerates. The beneficial effect
on the repassivation behaviour of alloyed N tends to appear in such case. As for HNS, the
alloyed N in the matrix releases to the solution in the form of NH
4
+
during the matrix
dissolution. As a result, the local acidification in the pit can be effectively inhibited, and
hence the repassivation of matrix is promoted, which is the pH buffering effect
[12,13,17,37]]. The repassivation behaviour of HIA and the effect of solutionised C on the

repassivation kinetics of a stainless steel have not been established yet. It is hypothesized that
the notably low E
rp
level of 0.3N0.3C alloy is attributed to the C enrichment on the metal
surface during the active dissolution of the metal matrix, inhibiting the N-buffering effect
inside the pit. To discuss the effect of solutionised C on the repassivation rate of HIAs is
beyond the scope of the present paper and the issue will be dealt with in an ensuing paper.
Based on the polarisation curves in Figures 4 and 5, the applying anodic potential values
during the SSRTs in the two aqueous chloride conditions were determined to be +0.05 V
versus their average E
corr
levels. The SSRT results obtained in the chloride solutions were
compared with those measured in the air. The SSRT was carried out on the alloys in 0.6 M
NaCl solution at 25
o
C at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
, with applying constant anodic potential of
+0.05 V versus E
corr
. However, the alloys did not show any notable susceptibility to SCC
measured in this condition, meaning that the sea water environment (approximately 0.6 M
(3.5 wt%) NaCl solution) at room temperature (25
o
C) is not severe enough to induce SCC
on these alloys. The testing condition for SSRT in aqueous chloride environment was
therefore changed to be more severe corrosive condition of 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C with
an applied potential of +0.05 V versus E
corr
during the SSRT.
3.2. SCC susceptibility
It has been reported that the testing parameters (i.e., strain rate and electrochemical
condition) should be adequately selected for obtaining a meaningful SSRT result of certain
alloy-environment system [35,38-41]. The SCC susceptibility is often expressed in terms of
the decrease in various tensile properties (e.g., tensile elongation, yield strength and ultimate
tensile strength) over those observed in an air environment. The specimen is strained to
failure during the SSRT, and the test duration (i.e., time to failure) itself may provide an
indication of SCC susceptibility. Previously, the authors reported that the change in tensile
elongation between reference environment (i.e., air) and corrosive environment tended to be

the most sensitive and consistent to represent the SCC susceptibility of some high-strength
alloys [39]. The SCC susceptibility in the present study was therefore evaluated by the
reduction ratio in the tensile elongation in an aqueous chloride environment over those
observed in an air environment.
Figures 6 shows the representative stress-strain curves of the alloys, which were
obtained by a SSRT at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
in air (Figure 6(a)) and in 2 M NaCl solution at
50
o
C while applying a constant anodic potential of +0.05 V

versus E
corr
(Figure 6(b)). Tables
3 summarises the SSRT results, the average values of which were obtained from at least
duplicate test results. The test results in air (Figure 6(a) and Table 3) showed that the effects
of N and C on the tensile properties of Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steels were significant
and beneficial. With increasing N content from 0.3 to 0.6 wt%, both yield strength and
tensile strength of Fe18Cr10Mn-based alloys increased from 409 to 450 MPa and from 813
to 971 MPa, respectively. The increase in tensile elongation was particularly significant,
showing an almost two-fold increase (from 28.1 % to 56.9 %). The addition of C to
Fe18Cr10Mn-based alloy appeared to be also beneficial in increasing the strength and the
tensile elongation. The remarkable aspect of the results shown in Figure 6(a) and Table 3 was
that the combined addition of C and N to Fe18Cr10Mn-based alloy was more effective in
increasing the strength level than the alloying N only with the total amount of added
interstitial alloying elements fixed.
Figure 7 shows the SEM fractographs of the alloys after SSRTed in air at a strain rate of
10
-6
s
-1
. A strong tendency for intergranular fracture was observed in 0.3N alloy, as shown in
Figure 7(a). Such an intergranular fracture mode for 0.3N alloy shown in this study was not
observed in conventional tensile testing with a strain rate of approximately 10
-3
s
-1
, and
further studies are required on this phenomenon. With increasing N to 0.6 wt%, the tendency
for the intergranular fracture mode was significantly reduced, with a mixed mode of dimpled

rupture and cleavage (Figure 7(b)). The intergranular fracture of 0.3N alloy was also
completely suppressed in the specimens with addition of 0.3 wt% C showing a fine dimpled
rupture mode (Figure 7(c)). The present fractographic analysis confirmed the beneficial
effects of C and N addition on the tensile properties of Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steels in
that both strength and tensile ductility were improved as a result of suppressed intergranular
fracture.
As previously mentioned in section 3.1., the present alloys were almost immune to SCC
in 0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C. The SCC susceptibility of the alloys was therefore
investigated in 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C at a constant applied potential of +0.05 V versus
E
corr
. The representative stress-strain curves of the alloys measured in aqueous chloride
solution were shown in Figure 6(b), and the comparison of the stress-strain curves of the
alloys measured in air and 2 M NaCl solution were presented in Figure 8. In both air (Figure
6(a)) and 2 M NaCl solution (Figure 6(b)), the 0.3N alloy exhibited the lowest strength and
elongation levels, while the 0.6N alloy showed the highest elongation level. The yield and
tensile strengths, the tensile elongation and the induced time to failure measured in 2 M NaCl
solution at 50
o
C were lower than those measured in air as shown in Figure 8 and Table 3. It
was also notable in Figure 8 and Table 3 that the reduction ratio in tensile elongation and that
in the time to fracture of 0.3N alloy were substantially greater than those for 0.6N and
0.3C0.3N alloys.
Figure 9 shows the SEM fractographs of the alloys after SSRT in 2 M NaCl solution at
50
o
C at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
under a constant applied potential of +0.05 V versus E
corr
,
while Figure 10 shows the side view of the fractured specimens after SSRT. With increasing
N content from 0.3 to 0.6 wt%, the nature of stress corrosion cracks tended to change. A
number of stress corrosion cracks were formed on the peripheral of 0.3N alloy and
propagated into the center of specimen, while only two or three stress corrosion cracks were

observed on the fracture surface of 0.6N alloy. The stress corrosion cracks on 0.3C0.3N alloy
showed a similar nature as those on 0.6N alloy. These surface cracks would reduce the
tensile elongation in an SCC-causing environment and hence increase the SCC susceptibility
which is represented by the reduction ratio in the tensile elongation in the NaCl solution over
those in air. From Figures 9(a) and 10(a), it was noted that the fracture surface of the
SSRTed 0.3N alloy in 2 M NaCl at 50
o
C near crack initiation area were severely corroded.
Unlike the 0.3N alloy, the fracture surfaces of the SSRTed 0.6N and 0.3C0.3N alloys were
relatively less-corroded. For both 0.6N and 0.3C0.3N alloys, a large number of secondary
cracking were observed on the fracture surface. The number of stress corrosion cracks on the
surface was related to the resistance to pitting corrosion initiation. That is, the 0.6N and the
0.3N0.3C alloys, having the higher E
pit
levels than the 0.3N alloy, showed the reduced
number of crack initiation sites compared to that of 0.3N alloy as shown in Figures 9 and 10.
The results obtained in the present study are summarised in Figure 11, in which the
correlation between the SCC susceptibility and the pitting corrosion resistance (initiation and
extinction of the pitting corrosion) of the alloys is visualised. The E
pit
and E
rp
values of the
alloys measured in 2 M NaCl at 50
o
C and 0.6 M NaCl at 25
o
C are presented in Figures
11(a)-11(c), and the reduction ratio in the tensile elongation and that in the time to failure of
the alloys are shown in Figures 11(d) and 11(e). The addition of N and C increased the E
pit

level of Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steel and the alloying C was more beneficial than the
alloying N only in increasing E
pit
. Alloying N also increased the E
rp
level of the alloys (Figure
11(c)), but alloying C on the 0.3N alloy resulted in reduction of the E
rp
level. The higher E
pit

level infers the higher resistance to the pitting corrosion initiation, and the higher E
rp
level
reflects the higher tendency of the repassivation (i.e., pitting extinction). Regarding the
improved SCC resistance, the increase in the resistance to pitting corrosion initiation and the
increase in repassivation kinetics are both important [42-49]. The combination of these two

aspects would explain the SCC behaviour of the present alloys, as shown in Figures 11(d) and
11(e). The beneficial effect of N on the SCC susceptibility of austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn steels is
believed to be due to the improved resistance to pitting corrosion initiation and repassivation
kinetics, which is partly because the alloyed N makes the passive film more protective by
encouraging Cr partitioning on the film, and partly because of the pH buffering effect of N.
Similar SCC susceptibility of the 0.3C0.3N alloy as compared to that of the 0.6N alloy
suggests that the addition of C in solid solution is as beneficial as N in improving the
resistance to pitting corrosion initiation and hence the resistance to SCC. The increase in the
resistance to pitting corrosion and SCC with the addition of C in 0.3C0.3N alloy tended to be
limited due to the reduced repassivation tendency.


4. Conclusions
The effects of alloyed N and C on the SCC susceptibility of Fe18Cr10Mn-based
austenitic stainless steels in 0.6M NaCl solution at 25
o
C and 2M NaCl solution at 50
o
C were
examined using an SSRT method. The SCC susceptibility of the alloys was interpreted in
association with the pitting corrosion resistance, and the following conclusions have been
made.
1. The SSRT results in air showed a substantial improvement in tensile properties of
Fe18Cr10Mn-based austenitic stainless steels with increasing N content from 0.3 to 0.6 wt%
or a combined addition of 0.3C and 0.3N with a reduced tendency for intergranular fracture.
2. The SCC susceptibility of the alloys in 2 M NaCl at 50
o
C under constant anodic
potential (+0.05 V versus E
corr
) condition significantly decreased with increasing N content
from 0.3 to 0.6 wt%, and with addition of 0.3 wt% C to the Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N alloys. Similar
SCC susceptibility was observed for the Fe18Cr10Mn0.6N and the Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N0.3C
alloys.
3. The potentiodynamic polarisation curves showed that the addition of N and/or C
enhanced the E
pit
level, while the alloyed C was more efficient in improving the resistance to
pitting corrosion initiation than the alloyed N. On increasing the E
rp
level, on the other hand,
the addition of N, not C, was shown to be beneficial.
4. The present study showed that the beneficial effects of N on the SCC behaviour of
austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn steels were due to the improved resistance to pitting corrosion
initiation and the repassivation kinetics. Similar SCC susceptibility was observed for the
Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N0.3C alloy as compared to that of Fe18Cr10Mn0.6N alloy, suggesting that
the presence of C in solid solution is as beneficial as N in improving the resistance to pitting
corrosion initiation and SCC. Further improvement in the SCC resistance of

Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N0.3C alloy with the combined addition of C and N were limited due to the
lowered repassivation tendency.


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work has been supported by the Engineering Research Center (ERC) Program through
the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology (2013-0009451). This research was also supported by a grant from
the Fundamental R&D Program for Core Technology of Materials funded by the Ministry of
Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea.


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SCC susceptibility of Fe18Cr10Mn with 0.3N, 0.6N and 0.3N0.3C was investi
gated in aqueous chloride environment.
SCC susceptibility decreased with N and/or C addition.
SCC resistance was related to the change in resistance to pitting corrosion and
repassivation kinetics with N and/or C addition.



Figure captions
Figure 1. SEM micrographs of (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3C0.3N alloys.
Figure 2. SEM images showing (a) distribution of non-metallic inclusions and (b) and (b)
complex nature of non-metallic inclusion observed on as-polished 0.3N0.3C alloy.
Figure 3. Schematic illustration of slow strain rate test set-up in aqueous environment.
Figure 4. Polarization curves of (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3N0.3C alloys measured in 0.6
M NaCl solution at 25
o
C with a scan rate of 1 mV s
-1
.
Figure 5. Polarization curves of (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3N0.3C alloys measured in 2 M
NaCl solution at 50
o
C with a scan rate of 1 mV s
-1
.
Figure 6. Stress-strain curves of 0.3N, 0.6N and 0.3N0.3C alloys. The slow strain rate test
were conducted at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
in (a) air at 25
o
C and (b) 2 M NaCl at 50
o
C at
constant applied potential of +0.05 V versus corrosion potential.
Figure 7. SEM fractographs of (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3N0.3C alloys, which were slow
strain rate tested at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
in air : low (a-c) and high magnification (a-c).
Figure 8. Stress-strain curves of (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3N0.3C alloys. The slow strain
rate test were conducted at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
in air at 25
o
C and 2 M NaCl at 50
o
C at a
constant applied potential of +0.05 V versus corrosion potential.
Figure 9. SEM fractographs of (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3N0.3C alloys, which were slow
strain rate tested at a strain rate of 10
-6
s
-1
in 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C at a constant applied
potential of +0.05 V versus corrosion potential : low (a-c) and high magnification (a-c).
Figure 10. SEM images of the side view of the fractured samples after slow strain rate testing
in 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C at 10
-6
s
-1
at a constant applied potential of +0.05 versus
corrosion potential : (a) 0.3N, (b) 0.6N and (c) 0.3N0.3C.
Figure 11. Summarized results from a polarization test and a slow strain rate test of 0.3N,
0.6N and 0.3N0.3C alloys. (a) Pitting potential (E
pit
) values measured in 2 M NaCl solution at

50
o
C, (b) the E
pit
values measured in 0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C and (c) repassivation
potential (E
rp
) values measured in 0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C. (d) Reduction ratio in tensile
elongation and (e) reduction ratio in time to failure between the slow strain rate test results in
air at 25
o
C and 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C at a constant applied potential of +0.05 V versus
corrosion potential.



Figure 1.



Figure 2.



Figure 3.



Figure 4.



Figure 5.



Figure 6.


Figure 7.

Figure 8.



Figure 9.



Figure 10.


Figure 11.

Table 1. Chemical composition (wt.%) of austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steels.
Alloy C Mn Cr N
0.3N 0.03 9.74 17.96 0.33
0.6N 0.02 9.70 18.30 0.61
0.3C0.3N 0.30 9.61 18.06 0.32
Si0.25, P0.016, S0.005, Fe: balance.

Table 2. The polarization test results of the austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steels
measured in 0.6 M NaCl solution at 25
o
C (dV/dt=3 mV s
-1
) and 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C
(dV/dt=1 mV s
-1
). The average and the standard deviation (STDV) values were obtained from
quadruplicate test results.
Alloy Test condition
Pitting
potential
Repassivation
potential
0.3N
0.6 M NaCl, 25
o
C, 3 mV s
-1

Average, V
SCE
0.0135 -0.0971
STDV, V 0.0692 0.0604
2 M NaCl, 50
o
C
Average, V
SCE
-0.2121 -
STDV, V 0.0243 -
0.6N
0.6 M NaCl, 25
o
C, 3 mV s
-1

Average, V
SCE
0.2798 0.0611
STDV, V 0.0464 0.0964
2 M NaCl, 50
o
C
Average, V
SCE
-0.1740 -
STDV, V 0.0128 -
0.3N0.3C
0.6 M NaCl, 25
o
C, 3 mV s
-1

Average, V
SCE
0.3413 -0.4010
STDV, V 0.0100 0.0138
2 M NaCl, 50
o
C
Average, V
SCE
-0.0582 -
STDV, V 0.0691 -


Table 3. The slow strain rate test results of the austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steels
measured in air and in 2 M NaCl solution at 50
o
C at constant applied potential of +0.05 V
versus corrosion potential. The strain rate was 10
-6
s
-1
, and the average and the standard
deviation (STDV) values were obtained from duplicate test results.
Alloy
Test
condition

Yield
strength,
(MPa)
Ultimate
Tensile
strength,
(MPa)
Tensile
Elongation (%)
Time to
Failure (hour)

Reduction
Ratio (%)

Reduction
Ratio (%)
0.3N
Air
Average 409 813 28.1
-14.2
88
-11.4
STDV 9 18 0.6 1
2 M NaCl
Average 398 745 24.1 78
STDV 12 11 1.1 3
0.6N
Air
Average 450 971 56.9
-4.9
169
-2.4
STDV 20 15 0.2 1
2 M NaCl
Average 436 826 54.1 165
STDV 30 14 0.4 1
0.3C0.3N
Air
Average 457 1019 52.6
-2.1
156
-1.3
STDV 88 58 0.71 7
2 M NaCl
Average 398 937 51.5 154
STDV 8 8 0.8 4