Abstract
Standard chemical immersion (modified Strauss) tests and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) showed that reduced activation austenitic steels based on Fe-20Mn-12Cr-0.25C(wt%) are extremely prone to thermal sensitization and intergranular corrosion because of their high carbon contents and low chromium concentrations. This susceptibility to sensitization after thermal aging, fabrication, or irradiation makes their use in aqueous and other certain environments problematical. Excellent correlation between intergranular corrosion induced by immersion in the acidified CuSO 4 solution and the presence of narrow chromium-depleted zones around grain boundaries, as determined by AEM, was found. Due to the need to meet reduced activation requirements, the opportunities to increase the sensitization resistance of fully austenitic Fe-Mn-Cr steels by alloy design are limited.
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