Papers by Author: Tetsuya Uchimoto

Abstract: Series of slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were conducted on moderately sensitized austenitic stainless steel in diluted aqueous solution of sodium thiosulfate at ambient temperature and pressure. Only a small area of the test piece was exposed to test solution and electrochemical potential transients obtained during the straining was used to detect an initiation or a precursor event of stress corrosion crack (SCC). Tests were stopped intermittently after getting potential transients, so as not to allow crack to propagate and to observe the morphology of very initial stage of SCC initiation site. Visual observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) before and after the test shows direct correlation between electrochemical transient of certain characteristic to the crack initiation. SEM observation shows δ- ferrite in the alloy as one of the preferential SCC initiation site for typical electrochemical transient. Attempt was made to calculate the charge associated with crack initiation event from potential transient using dummy anode test.

Abstract: Fatigue cracks and SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) on a back surface were detected, and the shape of cracks were evaluated using a surface wave generated by focusing angle beam ultrasound. Internal ultrasonic images showed a little shorter length than optical images. Cross section of the fatigue crack and internal distribution of complicated shaped SCC were estimated.

Abstract: The propagation characteristics of the back-reflected Rayleigh surface wave in chemical vapor deposit (CVD) diamond coated specimens were investigated experimentally using the ultrasonic backward radiation measurement. The deliberated delaminations produced between the coating layer and the substrate decreased Rayleigh surface wave velocity. This initial experimental result obtained in the present study demonstrates the high potential of the backward radiated ultrasound as a tool for nondestructive evaluation of very thin CVD diamond coating layer.

Abstract: Although electrochemical transients can provide very sensitive indication about the onset of localized corrosion, including initiation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC), information on location of the initiation site is not available. In the present study, we proposed an estimation method of location and magnitude of SCC initiation events, where electrochemical transients associated with local anodic events are measured by multiple reference electrodes and location of the initiation sites are estimated based on relative magnitude of the electrochemical transients simultaneously measured at multiple locations.