Signs of In-Service Corrosion-Fatigue Damage to Stainless Steel of Heat-Exchanger Plates

• Published in: Materials science (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 626 - 632
• Main Authors: Zvirko, О. І., Student, О. Z., Andreiko, І. М., Kurylas, М. S., Palash, R. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-03-2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Corrosion; Corrosion fatigue; Crack propagation; Defects; Equipment and supplies; Fatigue failure; Galvanic corrosion; Heat exchangers; Heating; Intergranular corrosion; Materials Science; Metal fatigue; Pitting (corrosion); Plastic deformation; Solid Mechanics; Stainless steels; Steel; Structural Materials; Thin plates; corrosion fatigue; microfractographic analysis; chromium-nickel stainless steel; heat-exchanger
• ISSN: 1068-820X; 1573-885X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11003-022-00588-9

We consider the case of in-service development of through defects in thin plates of heat exchangers separating the working and cooling media, which affects their functional properties as a result of mixing of the indicated media. The plates are made of 18Cr–8Ni-type steel with insignificant content of molybdenum characterized by the detected susceptibility to corrosion and stress-corrosion fracture in both media. The results of microfractographic analysis demonstrate that the formation of defects is caused by the corrosion pitting and corrosion-fatigue fracture of steel, mainly at the sites of contact of the ribs in neighboring plates. In the zones of local plastic deformation, as a result of contact fatigue, we observe the intense process of twinning, which most likely promotes the intergranular corrosive crack growth.