Grain boundary engineering for intergranular corrosion resistant austenitic stainless steel

Optimum parameters in the thermomechanical treatment during grain boundary engineering (GBE) were investigated for improvement of intergranular corrosion resistance of type 304 austenitic stainless steel. The grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) was examined by orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The intergranular corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) and ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid tests. The sensitivity to intergranular corrosion was reduced by the thermomechanical treatment and indicated a minimum at a small roll-reduction. The frequency of coincidence-site-lattice (CSL) boundaries indicated a maximum at the small pre-strain. The ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid test showed much smaller corrosion rate in the thermomechanical-treated specimen than in the base material for long time sensitization. The optimum thermomechanical treatment introduced a high frequency of CSL boundaries and the clear discontinuity of corrosive random boundary network in the material, and resulted in the high intergranular corrosion resistance arresting the propagation of intergranular corrosion from the surface.