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Abstract

Tin brass heat exchanger tube specimens were precharged with hydrogen at different cathodic charging conditions. Cathodic hydrogen charging was found to induce severe cracking and blistering on the surface of brass heat exchanger tube without externally applied stress. Microscopic observations revealed that the hydrogen cracks were intergranular (IG) or transgranular (TG) or mixed mode of cracking, i.e. IG and TG, while the blisters were observed to be spherically shaped. The severity of hydrogen induced cracking and blistering increased with the cathodic current density. Free corrosion immersion experiments were conducted on the hydrogen precharged tin brass heat exchanger tube specimens in 0·5M NaCl solution to investigate the role of hydrogen in pitting corrosion. It was found that hydrogen significantly promoted pit initiation and pit growth. Moreover, the pit formation and growth increased with charging time. The corrosion potential measurements revealed that the hydrogen precharged tin brass heat exchanger tube specimens exhibited lower corrosion resistance as compared with the non-precharged specimen. The corrosion potential of hydrogen precharged specimens reached a steady state after a longer immersion time. Furthermore, with increasing precharging time, the immersion time required to reach a steady state potential increased.

Keywords

CATHODIC HYDROGEN CHARGING PITTING BRASS HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE

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Hydrogen induced cracking and pitting of brass heat exchanger tube

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