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Understanding the Effect of Nanosized NbC Precipitates on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel in a Simulated Deep-Sea Environment

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Abstract

The effect of nanosized NbC precipitates on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel in a simulated deep-sea environment was studied through electrochemical tests, hydrogen permeation tests and slow strain rate tension (SSRT) tests. The results show that in a simulated deep-sea environment, the presence of nanosized NbC precipitates significantly decreases electrochemical corrosion and SCC susceptibility. Nanosized NbC precipitates increased the amount of irreversible and reversible hydrogen traps, which pinned the hydrogen induced by the hydrogen evolution reaction, and weakened the effect of hydrogen on the AD and HE during SCC of HSLA steel. In addition, whether in deep- or shallow-sea environments, nanosized NbC precipitates improved the SCC resistance of HSLA steel by means of the hydrogen-trapping and microstructural optimization effect, but the microstructural optimization played a minor role. Once the steels were with higher hydrogen concentration, the hydrogen-trapping function of NbC precipitates increased, which resulted in larger SCC resistance improvement.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFB0300604), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51971033, 51471033) and the National Materials Corrosion and Protection Data Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institution of Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Qiyue Zhao, Endian Fan, Shasha Wang, Yunhua Huang & Xiaogang Li

  2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Premium Steel Material, Nanjing Iron and Steel Co., LTD, Nanjing, 211500, China

    Jinbin Zhao

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  1. Qiyue Zhao
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Correspondence to Yunhua Huang or Xiaogang Li.

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Zhao, Q., Fan, E., Wang, S. et al. Understanding the Effect of Nanosized NbC Precipitates on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel in a Simulated Deep-Sea Environment. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 30, 2159–2173 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-021-05532-7

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