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Microstructure and Microchemistry of Inconel 600 STEAM Generator Tubing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

V. Perovic
Affiliation:
Ontario Power Technologies, 800 Kipling Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M8Z 5C4
A. Perovic
Affiliation:
Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, L8S 4M1
G.C. Weatherly
Affiliation:
Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, L8S 4M1
A.M. Brennenstuhl
Affiliation:
Ontario Power Technologies, 800 Kipling Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M8Z 5C4
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Extract

Inconel 600 is an austenitic Ni-Cr-Fe alloy which is extensively used for tubing in steam generators of pressurized light water reactors (PWR) and CANDU heavy water reactors, because of its excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, there have been instances of intergranular stress corrosion cracking of tubes in operating steam generators. The chemistry and the structure of grain boundaries and grain boundary precipitation have emerged as factors of prime importance in understanding stress corrosion cracking and intergranular attack of nickel-base alloys (see e.g. ref. l).

In this study analytical electron microscopy was used to determine the microstructure of grain boundary and matrix precipitates, grain boundary chromium content and dislocation substructure of selected steam generating tubes of CANDU reactors. The results of the in-service materials are compared with as-received material. Two JEOL 2010 STEM instruments were used in this study.

Type
Phase Transformations
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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