Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Advanced High Strength Alloys

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2017) | Viewed by 19414

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Curtin Corrosion Center, Curtin University, Technology Park, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Interests: metallic materials; structural and functional properties; structure–property correlations; advanced nanoscale materials characterization; nanoscale mechanical testing; environmentally assisted fracture and fatigue; in situ testing; stress corrosion cracking; corrosion; hydrogen embrittlement
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Co-Guest Editor
Curtin Corrosion Centre, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Interests: mechanically assisted corrosion; localised corrosion; environmentally-assisted cracking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC), an intricate interaction between the environment, stress state, and material, results in brittle fracture of otherwise ductile materials. EAC covers a broad range of failure in materials, such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC), corrosion fatigue, hydrogen embrittlement, sulfide stress cracking, hydrogen enhanced fatigue, irradiation induced SCC, to name a few. All different forms of EAC have been studied extensively, and, for a relatively long time, generating a vast body of knowledge.

We are presently experiencing the complete transformation of the alloy development and manufacturing cycles, which are transitioning from the traditional trial-and-error approach to a new knowledge-based methodology. Thus, the scientific and engineering communities require a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms involved in EAC-related phenomena. Likewise, new processing techniques, like additive manufacturing, are becoming mainstream. The new manufacturing methods could lead to alloys with entirely different microstructures and compositional variations and, consequently, unknown EAC behavior.

At the same time, the ever-growing demand of the energy, automotive, and aerospace sectors has fueled the development of new high strength alloys with complex microstructures and chemistries, prone to EAC.

The examples above boldly illustrate the necessity of interdisciplinary and multiscale research to increase the understanding of the mechanisms leading to environmental cracking in high-performing alloys. Modern techniques and approaches, including in situ testing and high-resolution analysis and characterization tools, provide an entirely new perspective for the examination pf the various forms of EAC.

This Special Issue presents the latest research on EAC of advanced alloys.

Prof. Dr. Afrooz Barnoush
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Stress corrosion cracking;
  • Environmentally assisted fracture;
  • Hydrogen embrittlement;
  • Mechanical aspects of corrosion;
  • Hydrogen enhanced cracking;
  • Irradiation-induced SCC;
  • In situ testing

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 20612 KiB  
Article
Influence of Scandium Addition on Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg Alloy in Different Corrosive Environments
by Zhaoming Li, Haichang Jiang, Desheng Yan and Lijian Rong
Metals 2018, 8(4), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/met8040225 - 29 Mar 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4106
Abstract
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibilities of Al-Zn-Mg alloys without and with Scandium addition were evaluated in 3.5% NaCl solution at different pH and different strain rate, using slow strain rate test technique. The results indicate that Sc addition reduces grain size and width [...] Read more.
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibilities of Al-Zn-Mg alloys without and with Scandium addition were evaluated in 3.5% NaCl solution at different pH and different strain rate, using slow strain rate test technique. The results indicate that Sc addition reduces grain size and width of precipitation free zones, and transforms grain boundary precipitates from continuous distribution into interrupted distribution by inhibiting recrystallization. In solution at pH 1, pH 3 and pH 7, Sc addition reduces the degree of localized corrosion of alloy surface and SCC susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg alloy. However, in solution at pH 10 and pH 12, grain refinement significantly promotes the diffusion of hydrogen atoms into matrix, thus Sc addition increases SCC susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg alloy. Under different strain rate conditions, Sc addition can all reduce SCC susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg alloy in solution at pH 1, pH 3 and pH 7, and can all increase SCC susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg alloy in solution at pH 10 and pH 12. As a result, Sc modified Al-Zn-Mg alloy in practical applications should be avoided in alkaline environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Advanced High Strength Alloys)
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14 pages, 12855 KiB  
Article
FeS Corrosion Products Formation and Hydrogen Uptake in a Sour Environment for Quenched & Tempered Steel
by Elien Wallaert, Tom Depover, Iris De Graeve and Kim Verbeken
Metals 2018, 8(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/met8010062 - 17 Jan 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5891
Abstract
Surface corrosion product formation is one of the important factors affecting the corrosion rate and hydrogen uptake in a H2S environment. However, it is still unclear how the base material composition will affect the corrosion products that are generated, and consequently [...] Read more.
Surface corrosion product formation is one of the important factors affecting the corrosion rate and hydrogen uptake in a H2S environment. However, it is still unclear how the base material composition will affect the corrosion products that are generated, and consequently their impact on the corrosion rate. In this paper, corrosion product formation and the impact of the Mo content of the base material on the composition of the corrosion products and hydrogen absorption in a sour environment was investigated. The corrosion layer was composed of a double layered mackinawite (FeS1−x) structure, which was enriched with molybdenum and chromium. The layers were formed via two different mechanisms, i.e., the inner layer was created via a general oxide film formation corrosion mechanism, whereas the upper layer was formed by a precipitation mechanism. The presence of this double corrosion layer had a large influence on the amount of diffusible hydrogen in the materials. This amount decreased as a function of contact time with the H2S saturated solution, while the corrosion rate of the materials shows no significant reduction. Therefore, the corrosion products are assumed to act as a physical barrier against hydrogen uptake. Mo addition caused a decrease in the maximal amount of diffusible hydrogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Advanced High Strength Alloys)
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7571 KiB  
Article
Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of Austempered AISI 4140 Steel with Dissolved Hydrogen
by Varun Ramasagara Nagarajan, Susil K. Putatunda and James Boileau
Metals 2017, 7(11), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7110466 - 1 Nov 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 8069
Abstract
The focus of this investigation was to examine the influence of dissolved hydrogen on the fatigue crack growth behavior of an austempered low-alloy AISI 4140 steel. The investigation also examined the influence of dissolved hydrogen on the fatigue threshold in this material. The [...] Read more.
The focus of this investigation was to examine the influence of dissolved hydrogen on the fatigue crack growth behavior of an austempered low-alloy AISI 4140 steel. The investigation also examined the influence of dissolved hydrogen on the fatigue threshold in this material. The material was tested in two conditions, as-received (cold rolled and annealed) and austempered (austenitized at 882 °C for 1 h and austempered at 332 °C for 1 h). The microstructure of the annealed specimens consisted of a mix of ferrite and fine pearlite; the microstructure of the austempered specimens was lower bainite. Tensile and Compact Tension specimens were prepared. To examine the influence of dissolved hydrogen, two subsets of the CT specimens were charged with hydrogen for three different time periods between 150 and 250 h. All of the CT samples were then subjected to fatigue crack growth tests in the threshold and linear regions at room temperature. The test results indicate that austempering resulted in significant improvement in the yield and tensile strength as well as the fracture toughness of the material. The test results also show that, in the absence of dissolved hydrogen, the crack growth rate in the threshold and linear regions was lower in austempered samples compared to the as-received (annealed) samples. The fatigue threshold was also slightly greater in the austempered samples. In presence of dissolved hydrogen, the crack growth rate was dependent upon the ∆K value. In the low ∆K region (<30 MPa√m), the presence of dissolved hydrogen caused the crack growth rate to be higher in the austempered samples as compared to annealed samples. Above this value, the crack growth rate was increasingly greater in the annealed specimens when compared to the austempered specimens in presence of dissolved hydrogen. It is concluded that austempering of 4140 steel appears to provide a processing route by which the strength, hardness, and fracture toughness of the material can be increased with little or no degradation in the ductility and fatigue crack growth behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Advanced High Strength Alloys)
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