Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in a Low-alloy Steel

Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in a Low-alloy Steel PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 35

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Environmentally Assisted Cracking (EAC) can cause increases in fatigue crack growth rates of 40 to 100 times the rate in air for low alloy steels. The increased rates can lead to very large predicted crack growth. EAC is activated by a critical level of dissolved sulfides at the crack tip. Sulfide inclusions (MnS) in the steel produce corrosive sulfides in solution following exposure by a growing crack. In stagnant, low oxygen water conditions considered here, diffusion is the dominant mass transport mechanism acting to change the sulfide concentration within the crack. The average crack tip velocity is below the level required to produce the critical crack tip sulfide ion concentration required for EAC. Crack extension analyses also consider the breakthrough of large, hypothetical embedded defects with the attendant large freshly exposed sulfide inventory. Combrade et al. noted that a large inventory of undissolved metallurgical sulfides on crack flanks could trigger EAC, but did not quantify the effects. Diffusion analysis is extended herein to cover breakthrough of embedded defects with large sulfide inventories. The mass transport via diffusion is limited by the sulfide solubility. As a result, deep cracks in high sulfur steels are predicted to retain undissolved sulfides for extended but finite periods of time t{sub diss} which increase with the crack length and the metallurgical sulfide content in the steel. The analysis shows that the duration of EAC is limited to t{sub diss} providing V{sub eac}, the crack tip velocity associated with EAC is less than V{sub In}, the crack tip velocity below which EAC will not occur in an initially sulfide free crack. This condition on V{sub eac} need only be met for a short time following crack cleanup to turn off EAC. The predicted crack extension due to limited duration of EAC is a small fraction of the initial embedded defect size and would not greatly change calculated crack depths.

Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in a Low-alloy Steel

Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in a Low-alloy Steel PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 35

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Book Description
Environmentally Assisted Cracking (EAC) can cause increases in fatigue crack growth rates of 40 to 100 times the rate in air for low alloy steels. The increased rates can lead to very large predicted crack growth. EAC is activated by a critical level of dissolved sulfides at the crack tip. Sulfide inclusions (MnS) in the steel produce corrosive sulfides in solution following exposure by a growing crack. In stagnant, low oxygen water conditions considered here, diffusion is the dominant mass transport mechanism acting to change the sulfide concentration within the crack. The average crack tip velocity is below the level required to produce the critical crack tip sulfide ion concentration required for EAC. Crack extension analyses also consider the breakthrough of large, hypothetical embedded defects with the attendant large freshly exposed sulfide inventory. Combrade et al. noted that a large inventory of undissolved metallurgical sulfides on crack flanks could trigger EAC, but did not quantify the effects. Diffusion analysis is extended herein to cover breakthrough of embedded defects with large sulfide inventories. The mass transport via diffusion is limited by the sulfide solubility. As a result, deep cracks in high sulfur steels are predicted to retain undissolved sulfides for extended but finite periods of time t{sub diss} which increase with the crack length and the metallurgical sulfide content in the steel. The analysis shows that the duration of EAC is limited to t{sub diss} providing V{sub eac}, the crack tip velocity associated with EAC is less than V{sub In}, the crack tip velocity below which EAC will not occur in an initially sulfide free crack. This condition on V{sub eac} need only be met for a short time following crack cleanup to turn off EAC. The predicted crack extension due to limited duration of EAC is a small fraction of the initial embedded defect size and would not greatly change calculated crack depths.

Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in a Low-alloy Steel

Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in a Low-alloy Steel PDF Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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The presence of dissolved metallurgical sulfides in pressure vessel and piping steels has been linked to Environmentally-Assisted Cracking (EAC), a phenomenon observed in laboratory tests that results in fatigue crack growth rates as high as 100 times that in air. Previous experimental and analytical work based on diffusion as the mass transport process has shown that surface cracks that are initially clean of sulfides will not initiate EAC in most applications. This is because the average crack tip velocity would not be sufficiently high to expose enough metallurgical sulfides per unit time and produce the sulfide concentration required for EAC. However, there is a potential concern for the case of a relatively large embedded crack breaking through to the wetted surface. Such a crack would not be initially clean of sulfides, and EAC could initiate. This paper presents the results of a series of experiments conducted on two heats of an EAC susceptible, high-sulfur, low-alloy steel in 243°C low-oxygen water to further study the phenomenon of EAC persistence at low crack tip velocities. A load cycle profile that incorporated a significant load dwell period at minimum load was used. In one experiment, the fatigue cycling history was such that relatively high crack tip velocities at the start of the experiment produced a persistent case of EAC even when crack tip velocities were later reduced to levels below the EAC initiation velocity. The other series of experiments used initial crack tip velocities that were much lower and probably more realistic. Air precracking of the compact tension specimens produced an initial inventory of undissolved sulfides on the crack flanks that directly simulates the array of sulfides expected from the breakthrough of an embedded crack. In all cases, results showed EAC ceased after several hundred hours of cycling.

Technical Basis for the Initiation and Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking of Low-alloy Steels in Elevated Temperature PWR Environments

Technical Basis for the Initiation and Cessation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking of Low-alloy Steels in Elevated Temperature PWR Environments PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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The Section 11 Working Group on Flaw Evaluation of the ASME B and PV Code Committee is considering a Code Case to allow the determination of the conditions under which environmentally-assisted cracking of low-alloy steels could occur in PWR primary environments. This paper provides the technical support basis for such an EAC Initiation and Cessation Criterion by reviewing the theoretical and experimental information in support of the proposed Code Case.

Temperature and Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Low Alloy Steel

Temperature and Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Low Alloy Steel PDF Author: T. A. Auten
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ISBN:
Category : Steel, Structural
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Initiation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in Low-alloy Steels

Initiation of Environmentally-assisted Cracking in Low-alloy Steels PDF Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Environmentally-Assisted Cracking (EAC) in low alloy steels is activated by a critical level of sulfide ions at the crack tip, which is produced from dissolution of sulfide inclusions (MnS, FeS, etc.) in the steel following exposure by a growing crack. EAC of concern herein is the increase of fatigue crack growth rate of up to 40 to 100 times the rate in air that occurs at 240--300 C in high temperature LWR or boiler water environments. The initiation of EAC is the onset of the higher fatigue crack growth rates in fully developed cracks already presumed to be present due to fatigue, stress corrosion cracking, or induced by fabrication. Initiation of EAC is induced by a change in loading parameters causing the fatigue crack growth rate to increase from a small multiple (2--4) to 40--100 times the air rate. A steady state theory developed by Combrade, suggests that EAC will initiate only above a critical crack velocity and cease below this same velocity. However, more recent tests show that EAC can persist down to much lower velocities (100 times lower) in low oxygen water at slightly lower temperatures. A special set of experiments on high sulfur plate material demonstrate that EAC will not initiate from surface cracks with low sulfide inventories at low crack tip velocities. Transient diffusion calculations show that a finite crack extension at a high crack tip velocity is necessary to initiate EAC, providing a possible explanation for the lack of high crack growth observations reported in low alloy steels in structural applications involving low oxygen environments.

Een nyeu evaluacie boecxken gheordineert van weghen onser ghenadichs heeren des Keysers, by den generaels vander munten vanden gouden ende silveren ghevalueerde penningen ende oock dye weerde van allen verboden gouden ende silveren penninghen, dye noyt geprent geweest en is, navolghende dassayen biden generaels daer af ghemaect, int jaer MCCCCC ende XXVI.

Een nyeu evaluacie boecxken gheordineert van weghen onser ghenadichs heeren des Keysers, by den generaels vander munten vanden gouden ende silveren ghevalueerde penningen ende oock dye weerde van allen verboden gouden ende silveren penninghen, dye noyt geprent geweest en is, navolghende dassayen biden generaels daer af ghemaect, int jaer MCCCCC ende XXVI. PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Modeling of Chemistry Related to Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Low-alloy Steels

Modeling of Chemistry Related to Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Low-alloy Steels PDF Author: John Hwan Chun
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 389

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Research and Service Experience with Environmentally-assisted Cracking in Carbon and Low-alloy Steels in High-temperature Water

Research and Service Experience with Environmentally-assisted Cracking in Carbon and Low-alloy Steels in High-temperature Water PDF Author: Hans-Peter Seifert
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 149

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Effect of Chloride on Environmentally Assisted Cracking of Low Alloy Steels in Oxygenated High Temperature Water

Effect of Chloride on Environmentally Assisted Cracking of Low Alloy Steels in Oxygenated High Temperature Water PDF Author: Matthias G. J. Herbst
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Threshold Velocity for Environmentally-assisted Cracking in Low Alloy Steels

Threshold Velocity for Environmentally-assisted Cracking in Low Alloy Steels PDF Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 11

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Book Description
Environmentally Assisted Cracking (EAC) in low alloy steels is generally believed to be activated by dissolution of MnS inclusions at the crack tip in high temperature LWR environments. EAC is the increase of fatigue crack growth rate of up to 40 to 100 times the rate in air that occurs in high temperature LWR environments. A steady state theory developed by Combrade, suggested that EAC will initiate only above a critical crack velocity and cease below this same velocity. A range of about twenty in critical crack tip velocities was invoked by Combrade, et al., to describe data available at that time. This range was attributed to exposure of additional sulfides above and below the crack plane. However, direct measurements of exposed sulfide densities on cracked specimens were performed herein and the results rule out significant additional sulfide exposure as a plausible explanation. Alternatively, it is proposed herein that localized EAC starting at large sulfide clusters reduces the calculated threshold velocity from the value predicted for a uniform distribution of sulfides. Calculations are compared with experimental results where the threshold velocity has been measured, and the predicted wide range of threshold values for steels of similar sulfur content but varying sulfide morphology is observed. The threshold velocity decreases with the increasing maximum sulfide particle size, qualitatively consistent with the theory. The calculation provides a basis for a conservative minimum velocity threshold tied directly to the steel sulfur level, in cases where no details of sulfide distribution are known.