22.72/3.

54 (Spring 2015)
Problem Set #6
SOLUTION

Problem 9.1. Type 304L stainless steel containing 0.02%C shows intergranular corrosion (IGC) after
exposure to hot corrosive gases at 600C for 7 days. How can this be, since the alloy is normally
resistant to IGC because of its low carbon content? How could this attack be prevented, still using
austenitic stainless steel.

Even 304L with 0.02% e will sensitize if held long enough in the appropriate temperature
range. Figure 9.3 (Text) shows that about 100 hours (4 days) at 60(te are required for a carbon
content of 0.03% e. A properly treated stabilized stainless steel, e.g. Types 321 or 347,

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would be immune to such long term sensitization, because the carbon is already uniformly

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precipitated as Ti and Cb carbides, respectively.

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Problem 9.2 An accidental arc strike from a welding tool causes surface melting and refreezing at a

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spot on the surface. Would this likely cause intergranular corrosion problems in the spot if the alloy
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were Type 304 stainless steel? Type 347 stainless steel?
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Assuming that the spot volume is rapidly cooled by the surrounding large heat sink
provided by the surrounding metal, the spot should be in effect solution annealed from just
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below the melting temperature to room temperature, and no IGC would be expected.-
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However, such rapid cooling from just below the melting temperature for Type 347 could
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dissolve the carbides and prevent them from acting to prevent sensitization as in the
mechanism of knife line attack in this steel.

Problem 9.3. Newly manufactured Type 347 stainless steel tanks will be used to hold fuming nitric acid
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at temperatures ranging from -15 to 50C in a military desert location. It has been discovered that some
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sheets used to fabricate the tanks were actually heated to 1315C and water cooled before tank
fabrication by welding. Knowing that nitric acid in these conditions will cause intergranular corrosion
and knifeline attack on sensitized austenitic stainless steels, (a) would you predict that either IGC or
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KLA could be a danger if the tanks are put into service? (b) If so, what are the possible remedies? (c0
How could the problem have been prevented?
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(a) The described heat treatment dissolves all carbides, as shown in Table 9.1. Subsequent
welding sensitizes the weldment and IGC will probably occur in the usual weld decay
pattern. (b) Remedies are limited. If tanks are small enough and available furnaces large.
enough, annealing between l500F and 2200F will precipitate the columbium carbides and
prevent subsequent sensitization by welding. Otherwise, the tanks must be used in less
severe service (e;g. water storage) or scrapped. (c) Type 347 stainless steel received from
the mill does not usually need any heat treatment before welding. The resistance of suspect
lots of Type 347 to sensitization could be ensured by heating to below 2250F followed by
slow cooling. If the fabricator insists on heating above 2250F, Type 304L would serve
without sensitization by welding.

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 Problem 9.7 A friend who is an engineer for a recreational vehicle manufacturer calls you and describes
corrosion at the interface between Type 321 stainless steel walls and the Type 347 stainless steel weld
metal in a 15 gallon cylindrical tank for potable (drinking) water. Wall thickness is 0.30 inches, and the
water is often liberally laced with chlorine for sanitation. What do you tell your friend? Is this a good
design? What are the possible causes of the corrosion? There is no opportunity to examine the tank.

Types 321 and 347 are close in the galvanic series, so galvanic corrosion seems unlikely.
These alloys are designed to resist sensitization to IGC. You could recommend that your
friend verify that the appropriate filler metal was used Anything other than Type 347
could cause problems (Table 9.3, Text). MIC could be a problem if the tank were exposed for
long periods of time in stagnant unchlorinated water. You can inquire about the
distribution of the corrosion. Is it isolated at discrete points or areas? Often leaks will be
observed where the weld bead is enlarged and the molten weld metal was momentarily held

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up for a time. The extra heat input can evaporate the Ti in Type 321 and, allow then

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sensitize the alloy to IGC. Is attack continuous at the weld metal base metal interface? If

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so, it could be KLA.

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