Influence of nitrogen on the sensitization, corrosion, mechanical, and microstructural properties of austenitic stainless steels. First annual progress report

Abstract

During this first year of the project, the research effort has concentrated on the electrochemical aspects of the effect of nitrogen on austenitic steels. The status of all the individual project tasks are outlined briefly, and then more detailed results of the electrochemical studies conducted so far are reported. Highlights of this quarter are: (1) nitrogen additions of up to 0.16 wt % retard sensitization of 18Cr-8Ni austenitic stainless steels. However, nitrogen additions to levels above approx. 0.25 wt % promote sensitization; (2) the retardation of sensitization by nitrogen can possibly be explained as being due to retardation of the nucleation or rate of growth of chromium carbides; and (3) polarization studies in high temperature 0.01 M Na/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ solutions at 250/sup 0/C demonstrate that the sensitized alloys are electrochemically more active than the solution annealed materials thereby indicating that they are susceptible to intergranular attack.