Relationship between ferromagnetic properties and grain size of Inconel alloy 600

Inconel alloy 600 is widely used in steam generator tubings where sensitization due to chromium depletion occurs at grain boundaries and the sensitization induces tubing failures. Though the alloy usually exhibits paramagnetic properties, it shows ferromagnetic properties along grain boundaries when chromium depletion occurs. This means that magnetic nondestructive evaluation of sensitization is possible. Therefore, as a fundamental study to develop magnetic nondestructive evaluation technique for sensitization, the relationship between ferromagnetic properties and grain size in Inconel 600 was investigated using isothermal heat treatment. The grain was controlled using solution annealing, and then, specimens were heat treated at 873, 923, and 973 K within 400 h. The saturation magnetization increases as heat treatment time increases and eventually peaks. The peak time depends on the heat treatment temperature. The coercivity increases during the initial heat treatment stage, and decreases as the duration of heat treatment increases. The maximum saturation magnetization decreases as the grain diameter increases and is inversely proportional to the grain diameter squared, which is consistent with the fact that the ferromagnetic phase only formed along grain boundaries.