Indicators of stress corrosion cracking resistance in alloy 82 dissimilar metal welds in simulated primary water environments

Joints between carbon steel and Alloy 600, containing Alloy 82 weld metal, were exposed to two steam-hydrogen environments considered to simulate exposure to primary water conditions in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) or Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor. The welds were found to have elevated and variable iron contents due to dilution by carbon steel during welding. This gave the Alloy 82 weld, near the inner surface of the component, an iron content approaching that of Alloy 800. A potentially protective external iron oxide film formed on the inner surface of the weld. However, the chromium content throughout the weld is below that which would form an external chromium oxide. The results indicate that low chromium content causes internal oxidation throughout the weld and potentially below the external iron oxide which could lead to Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC). (author)