Because of the wide usage of welded stainless steels handling nitric acid in ammunition plants operated for or by the Army, this investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of cold working stainless steels after being cooled at various rates.
Austenitic stainless steels precipitate Cr23C6 In the temperature range of 873 to 1173 k when cooled from solution annealing temperatures. The extent of precipitation is dependent on the cooling rate; fast cooling rates decrease the amount of carbide precipitation. Excessive precipitation will Induce a condition historically termed “sensitization,” which depletes the region surrounding the carbide of sufficient chromium required for stable passivation. Bain, Aborn, and Rutherford1 formulated the classic “chromium depletion” theory which accounted for the Intergranular attack of austenitic stainless steel in nitric acid. Rollason2 demonstrated that cold rolling prior to sensitizing treatments produced more uniform carbide deposition, and lowered the temperature range of...
