Despite of their excellent combination of high mechanical strength, toughness and corrosion resistance, duplex stainless steels (DSS) are susceptible to sigma phase formation, negatively affecting their superior properties. Sigma formation continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams can be a useful tool to avoid sigma formation during cooling from solution treatment temperatures; however, non-isothermal information about sigma formation in DSS are scarce in literature. This work presents a methodology to simulate CCT diagrams in DICTRA® software, showing excellent adherence to literature data. The methodology here presented was also able to describe sigma phase formation behaviour for different DSS compositions.

Critical pitting temperature (CPT) is one of the most accepted criteria for alloy classification concerning pitting corrosion. The techniques used nowadays to determine CPT have different parameters for alloys of different material classes, preventing the comparison between stainless steels and nickel based alloys. This study aims to compare the corrosion resistance of nickel based alloys and stainless steels with high corrosion resistance through potentiostatic tests for CPT determination, using a 3M MgCl2 aqueous solution. CPT values were effectively determined for the stainless steels studied but the technique did not have the same efficiency for nickel based alloys due to the occurrence of crevice corrosion, even considering the higher PRE of nickel based alloys.

Abstract Pitting corrosion resistance of two austenitic stainless steels, 18Cr8Ni (Type 304L or UNS S30403 stainless steel) and 17Cr6Mn5Ni, was evaluated in three electrolytic solutions containing a fixed concentration of 0.6M sodium chloride and different additions of sodium sulfate, 0.06M, 0.15M or 0.6M. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed on as-received samples and on specimens annealed at 1010°C, 1040°C, 1070°C or 1100°C. The best pitting corrosion resistance was presented by the 17Cr6Mn5Ni steel annealed at 1070°C or 1100°C, with lower delta ferrite contents, in the electrolyte with the highest sulfate concentration. It can be found that the addition of sodium sulfate inhibits pitting corrosion and has a better inhibitor effect in the high manganese steel.

The effect of aging temperature on mechanical and pitting corrosion properties of UNS S46500 was investigated. Tensile and Hardness tests were carried out and the microstructure was analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction; Thermo-Calc simulations helped in the phase identification. Pitting corrosion properties were investigated in 0.6M NaCl electrolyte with sulfate additions by Potentiodynamic Polarization (PP). Hardness, tensile and yield strength of the UNS S46500 steel after lower aging temperature, 510ºC (H950), are higher than the ones found in the 538ºC (H1000) aged steel.This result is explained by microstructure, X-ray diffraction and Thermo-Calc analysis, which indicated the presence of austenite, chi phase and probably Ni3Ti precipitates finely and uniform distributed throughout the martensite matrix. Pitting corrosion resistance is equivalent in both aging temperatures. The sulfate inhibitor effect on UNS S46500 steel was enhanced for 538ºC condition when the electrolyte reaches 1Cl-:1SO4 2- ratio, which is explained by Ni sulfate adsorption and the amount of interfaces in the microstructure resulting in smaller amount of adsorption sites, such as coarsened Ni3Ti precipitates, smaller fraction of chi phase and recovery of dislocations in martensite structure.

ABSTRACT In order to quantify ferrite content, three techniques, XRD, ferritoscope and optical metallography, were applied to a duplex stainless steel UNS S31803 solution-treated for 30 min at 1,000, 1,100 and 1,200 °C, and then compared to equilibrium of phases predicted by ThermoCalc® simulation. As expected, the microstructure is composed only by austenite and ferrite phases, and ferrite content increases as the solution treatment temperature increases. The microstructure presents preferred grains orientation along the rolling directions even for a sample solution treated for 30 min at 1,200 °C. For all solution treatment temperatures, the ferrite volume fractions obtained by XRD measurements were higher than those achieved by the other two techniques and ThermoCalc® simulation, probably due to texturing effect of previous rolling process. Values obtained by quantitative metallography look more assertive as it is a direct measurement method but the ferritoscope technique should be considered mainly for in loco measurement.

This work evaluates the phase transformations during aging of an UNS S31803 DSS at 650ºC and its influence on the DOS. The material was solution treated at 1175ºC and then aged at 650ºC for times up to 360 h. SEM-BSC images indicate the formation of Cr2N, σ and χ phases in the samples aged at 650ºC. The analysis of DL-EPR curves, obtained in a 1 M H2SO4 + 0.25 M NaCl + 0.01 M KSCN solution, shows an increase in DOS values for samples aged at 650ºC. Probably, this increase observed in DOS values is mainly related to the presence of Cr- and/or Mo-depleted α, as a result of σ phase, χ phase and/or Cr2N formation at 650ºC. Moreover, a possible healing up of Cr- and/ or Mo-depleted areas is observed between 1 h and 4 h of aging at 650ºC.

This work determines the kinetics of sigma phase formation in UNS S31803 Duplex Stainless Steel (DSS), describing the phase transformations that occur in isothermal aging between 700 and 900 ºC for time periods up to 1032 hours, allowing the determination of the Time-Temperature-Precipitation (TTP) diagram for sigma phase and proposing a model to predict the kinetics of sigma phase formation using a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) type expression. The higher kinetics of sigma phase formation occurs at 850 ºC. However, isothermal aging between 700 and 900 ºC for time periods up to 1032 hours are not sufficient to the establishment of thermodynamic equilibrium. Activation energy for both nucleation and growth of sigma phase is determined (185 kJ.mol-1) and its value is equivalent to the activation energy for Cr diffusion in ferrite, indicating that diffusion of Cr is probably the major thermally activated process involved in sigma phase formation. The determined JMA type expression presents good fit with experimental data between 700 and 850 ºC.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi investigar o efeito do teor de carbono e nitrogênio em aços inoxidáveis ferríticos com 17%Cr (16%Cr-0,04%C-0,032%N; 17,2%Cr-0,02%C-0,0062%N; 18,5%Cr-0,008%C-0,0213%N) sobre o grau de sensitização (GS). Os aços foram solubilizados a 1200°C e resfriados em água. Tratamentos isotérmicos foram realizados a 600°C entre 5 minutos e 16 horas. Foi realizado o ensaio de reativação eletroquímica potenciodinâmica de ciclo duplo (DL-EPR) em solução 0,5M H2SO4 a (25 ± 2)°C. O GS foi medido através da relação entre as densidades de correntes anódicas máximas nas etapas de reversão, i r, e ativação, i a. O exame microestrutural dos corpos-de-prova foi realizado nos microscópios óptico e eletrônico de varredura após ataque metalográfico com reagente Vilella. Os resultados mostram variação do GS com o tempo. Um máximo de GS foi obtido para cada aço e, posteriormente, foi observada diminuição do GS. A intensidade do GS e o tempo de ocorrência variaram em função dos teores de carbono e nitrogênio nos aços.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of carbon and nitrogen in 17%Cr ferritic stainless steels (16%Cr-0.04%C-0.032%N; 17.2%Cr-0.02%C-0.0062%N; 18.5%Cr-0.008%C-0.0213%N) on the degree of sensitization (DOS). These steels were solution annealed at 1200°C and quenched in water. Isothermal treatments were carried out at 600°C between 5 minutes and 16 hours. The Double Loop Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation test (DL-EPR) was carried out in a 0.5M H2SO4 solution at (25 ± 2)°C. The DOS was evaluated using a ratio between maximum anodic current density in reversion, i r, and activation, i a. The microstructural examination of specimens was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy after metallographic etching with Vilella's reagent. The results showed a DOS variation with time. Maximum values of DOS were obtained for each steel, followed by its reduction. The intensity of DOS and its kinetics vary in function of the carbon and nitrogen content in steels.