Abstract

Many of the components deployed in nuclear reactor power plants are fabricated via
the dissimilar welding of Alloy 600 and SUS 308 stainless steel (SS). However,
maintenance records reveal that such components are prone to cracking during their service
lives. The dissertation aims to resolve this problem by replacing these materials with
higher Cr contented Alloy 690 and lower C contented SUS 304L SS. Morever, Alloy
690-SUS 304L SS weldments were jointed by means of electron beam welding（EBW）
technique, which has a far higher energy density than traditional gas tungsten arc welding
（GTAW） process. The interrelationships among the welding parameters, microstructure,
corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and fracture behaviours of Alloy 690–SUS
304L SS EBW weldments were systematically examined in this study for comparing with
those of the counterparts formed using a traditional GTAW process.
The experimental results reveal that the interdendritic regions of the fusion zones
（FZs）of the EBW weldments contain fine TiN precipitates and Cr-Ni rich phases. The
former originate from the Alloy 690 base metal（BM）, while the latter are new phases
which precipitate around the TiN particles during the solidification process. Microscopic
analysis of the weldments following a modified Huey test indicates that the matrix regions
around the TiN precipitates and Cr-Ni rich phases represent preferential sites for corrosion
pit initiation. Compared with the FZ formed in the GTAW process, the FZ in the EBW
weldments solidifies more rapidly. This not only helps to suppress the precipitation of
chromium carbide in the FZ, but also minimizes chromium depletion at the grain
boundaries. Furthermore, it is found that fewer interdendritic precipitates are formed in the
FZ of the EBW weldments than in that of the GTAW weldments. This phenomenon,
coupled with the higher chromium content at the grain boundaries in the EBW specimens,
causes the FZs of the EBW specimens to have significantly higher intergranular and
interdendritic corrosion resistance properties than their GTAW counterparts. The fracture
tests indicate that all of the EBW specimens rupture in the FZ during slow strain rate tests
(SSRTs), irrespective of the test environment. However, the tensile strength and total
tensile elongation of the specimens deformed in the 0.01M Na2S2O3 + 1wt-% NaCl
corrosive environment are lower than those of the specimens deformed in air as a
combined result of pitting corrosion in the FZ and corrosion-assisted cracking.
Fractographic analysis reveals that the fracture surfaces of the specimens tested in air are
characterized by a dimple-like structure, which is indicative of a ductile failure mode. By
contrast, those of the specimens tested in a corrosive environment contain both a
dimple-like structure and corrosive formations, which are thought to accelerate crack
initiation and propagation, thereby leading to the premature failure of the specimen.

-1-
 It is found that the tensile strength of the weldment reduces slightly as the beam offset
（BOF）is increased from 0 to 0.30 mm. However, the chromium content in the FZ
increases, and hence the interdendritic corrosion resistance of the weldment is improved.
Furthermore, potentiodynamic polarization tests performed using a 0.01M Na2S2O3 +
1wt-% NaCl solution show that the pit nucleation potential (Enp) increases from 385 mVSCE
in the FZ of the weldment fabricated using a BOF of 0.00 mm to 1050 mVSCE in that
formed using a BOF of 0.30 mm. The higher value of Enp implies that the FZ has an
improved pitting corrosion resistance. It is thought that this enhanced corrosion resistance
is the result of a higher chromium content in the FZ. Overall, the results demonstrate that
when fabricating Alloy 690-SUS 304L SS dissimilar weldments using the EBW technique,
a BOF setting of 0.3 mm represents the optimal processing condition in terms of
maximizing the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the weldment.

Keywords： nickel-based alloy 690, SUS 304L, dissimilar welding, electron beam welding,
beam offset, corrosion resistance

-2-