Evaluation of electrodeposited ternary Ni-alloys for thermal stability

Electroplating methods for ternary Ni-alloys, such as Ni-P-Fe and Ni-P-B, in a Ni sulfamate solution on the inner wall surfaces of Alloy 600 tubing have been developed in order to use them to repair steam generator tubes damaged by a variety of corrosion mechanisms, in particular, by stress corrosion cracking. In this study, the stability of their microstructures and mechanical properties were evaluated to check if they could be used for a long period of time at the operating temperature of a PWR (pressurized water reactor) in nuclear power plants. The specimens were heat treated at 325 °C and 400 °C for 10, 20 and 30 days, followed by observation of their microstructures and measurement of their microhardness and tensile property. According to the experiment results, there was no noticeable change in their microstructures or microhardness with the heat treatment temperature and time conditions used in this study. For a Ni-P-B deposit, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) slightly increased with the heat treatment time, while their elongation decreased. In the case of a Ni-P-Fe deposit, however, its tensile property varied with the applied current density. For a Ni-P-Fe deposit plated at an applied current density of 50 mA/cm 2 , its UTS slightly decreased, but its elongation slightly increased with the heat treatment time. We concluded that the thermal stability of the ternary Ni-alloy deposits used in this study is good enough to be used with the materials of operating nuclear power plants.