Low-carbon (up to 0.004%) alloys were studied which contained 18.3 to 20%Cr and 10.1 to 76%Ni. The investigation showed that the grain-boundary energy decreased from 750 to 800mJ/m2 for the 18Cr-10Ni stainless steel composition, to about 625mJ/m2 for the 80Ni-20Cr alloy; at least at temperatures where intergranular precipitation did not appear.

Effect of Nickel on Volume Diffusion and on Intercrystalline Diffusion in Austenitic Fe-Cr-Ni Alloys. Changes in Grain Boundary Energy as a Function of Composition. P.Guiraldenq, P.Poyet: Les Mémoires Scientifiques de la Revue de Métallurgie, 1973, 70[10], 715-23