Carbide Precipitate Dissolution - Research Highlights #5 đ„Œ
For the next installment in our BND Research Highlights series, weâre showcasing corrosion measurements performed by BNDâs lead staff scientist, Stacy Moore! This work was performed during her PhD at the University of Bristol and published in npj Materials Degradation in 2021 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41529-020-00149-y). In this paper measurements of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) are described, including direct observations of crack propagation and precursor mechanisms such as âupliftâ and grain boundary carbide dissolution.
How did our SPM enable the best quality measurements?
â±ïž When a sample is corroding, the last thing you want is for any delay in imaging⊠Our SPMs quick loading and imaging times allowed for in-situ observation of corrosion initiation mechanisms.
đ§ The corrosive conditions explored in this work required imaging in aqueous salt solutions â our liquid cantilever holder enabled measurements to be collected in liquid environment.
đ Video rate imaging speeds translates into high temporal resolution for enhanced understanding of corrosion mechanisms and the order by which they occur.
đ As we strive towards faster imaging rates, we mustnât forget the importance of image stability, particularly when imaging in one area for extended durations.
In the video below, the dissolution of grain boundary carbide precipitates is observed in-situ. The video was collected at 2 frames per second over the course of 8 minutes (selected frames are shown, each frame 3.9 micrometres across). This process is speculated to act as a precursor mechanism to stress corrosion cracking.
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