The degradation and failure of steam generator tubes has become a major problem in the operation of nuclear power plants.1 Consequently, much effort has been directed at improving the steam generator materials and environment. The authors propose that the corrosion resistance of the tubing material (Inconel 600) can be enhanced by implanting the near-surface region with high-energy BF2+ ions. This hypothesis is based partly on the work of other investigators who have observed improvements in the corrosion behavior of iron and steel when implanted with metalloid (B+ or P+) ions.2-5
A 0.16-cm-thick plate of Inconel 600, with a composition as shown in Table 1, was cut into 1.25-cm-diameter disks to be used as samples. The samples were mechanically polished with abrasive paper to a 600 grit finish, ultrasonicaily cleaned in absolute methanol, and rinsed with distilled water.
The samples were implanted using...
