Comparative study between two austenitic steels with the EPR (Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation) technique

In the mid 19704s, the intergranular corrosion with stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) have been identified as a greater problem in Boiling Water Reactors BWR in several places of the world. The Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation - Single Loop (EPR-SL) test and the Double Loop (EPR-DL) test, were developed as methods for measuring the Degree of Sensitization (DOS), show sensitised materials at subject to Intergranular Corrosion. In Mexico, the Laguna Verde4s reactor is BWR type and many of its principal components was built with AISI 304 stainless steels, while that in VVER reactors as well as Juragua4s reactor in Cuba is used 321 Stainless stell in its Russian equivalent designation 08Ch18N10T. In this work, were studied 304 and 08Ch18N10T stainless steels by means of EPR-SL, EPR-DL and ASTM A-262 techniques, they have been found a good correlation for 304 steel but not in 08Ch18N10T steel and was proposed one modification in the criterion by the evaluation on the sensitisation in this steels. Finally, both materials were welded with procedures used in the nuclear industry, by Slow Strain Rate Test (SSRT) to determine the Stress Corrosion Cracking SCC susceptibility, and subsequently the susceptibility to localized corrosion was studied by means of Cyclic Polarization test and the uniform corrosion rate in a solution with chlorides by the Tafel plot, Potentiodynamic Anodic Polarization Resistance. (Author)