Assessment of electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation tests to qualify stainless steel for nitric acid service

To minimize the costs and delivery time delays associated with purchasing type 304L stainless steel materials for service in nitric-acid-containing media, an alternative to the current Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant requirement of testing in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) A 262, Practice C (the boiling nitric acid test), is being sought. A possible candidate is the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) test being developed for the nuclear industry and under consideration for acceptance as an ASTM standard. Based on a review of the literature and some limited screening tests, this test, as currently proposed, is not a suitable substitute for the nitric acid test. However, with additional development the EPR test is a likely candidate for providing a quantitative substitute for the current qualitative oxalic acid etching (ASTM A 282, Practice A) often used to accept, but not reject, materials for use in a nitric acid medium.