In situ identification of the films formed on alloys of Fe-13Cr-10Ni, Fe-5Cr-10Ni and 304 stainless steel immersed in high temperature, high purity water was performed using Raman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The films were examined as a function of the dissolved oxygen of the water. The results were complemented by scanning electron microscopy of the oxide films. The films were determined to be a function of the alloy's chromium concentration and the water's dissolved oxygen concentration. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that susceptibility to IGSCC is determined, at least in part, by the identity of the surface film that forms over the grain boundary regions. In the context of the hypothesis, the results can be used to explain (1) the existence of a threshold potential below which IGSCC will not occur, (2) the influence of chromium concentration of grain boundaries on IGSCC and (3) the influence of electrical conductivity of the water on susceptibility to IGSCC.
Keywords: Oxidation, Raman Spectroscopy, SERS, Stainless Steel, Passive Film