The corrosion behaviour of cast Al-Mg alloy A535 and its composites containing 10 wt.% and 15 wt.% fly ash, and 10 wt.% hybrid reinforcement (5 wt.% fly ash + 5 wt.% SiC) was investigated using weight-loss and electrochemical corrosion tests, optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). The tests were conducted in fresh water collected from the South Saskatchewan River and 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution at room temperature. The pH of the salt solution varied from 3 to 9. For comparison, two other aluminum alloys, AA2618 and AA5083-H116, were tested in the same electrolytes. The results of the weight-loss corrosion test showed that unreinforced A535 alloy had a lower corrosion rate in fresh water and seawater environments than the composites at all the tested pH values. The corrosion rate of the composites increased with increasing fly ash content. As expected, the corrosion rates of A535 alloy and the composites tested in fresh water were lower than those in salt solution. The results of the potentiodynamic and cyclic polarization electrochemical tests showed that the corrosion potential (Ecorr) and pitting potential (Epit) of the alloy were more positive than those of the composites. The corrosion and pitting potentials of the composites became more negative (active) with increasing fly ash content. The composites showed more positive (noble) repassivation or protection potential (Erp) than the matrix alloy, with the positivity increasing with fly ash content. Analysis of the electrochemical noise data showed that pitting corrosion was the dominant mode of corrosion for the alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Optical microscopy and SEM revealed that Mg2Si phase and Al-Mg intermetallics corroded preferentially to the matrix. The EDS data indicated that the protective oxide film formed on A535 contained Al2O3 and MgO.

The corrosion behaviour of cast Al-Mg alloy A535 and its composites containing 10 wt.% and 15 wt.% fly ash, and 10 wt.% hybrid reinforcement (5 wt.% fly ash + 5 wt.% SiC) was investigated using weight-loss and electrochemical corrosion tests, optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). The tests were conducted in fresh water collected from the South Saskatchewan River and 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution at room temperature. The pH of the salt solution varied from 3 to 9. For comparison, two other aluminum alloys, AA2618 and AA5083-H116, were tested in the same electrolytes. The results of the weight-loss corrosion test showed that unreinforced A535 alloy had a lower corrosion rate in fresh water and seawater environments than the composites at all the tested pH values. The corrosion rate of the composites increased with increasing fly ash content. As expected, the corrosion rates of A535 alloy and the composites tested in fresh water were lower than those in salt solution. The results of the potentiodynamic and cyclic polarization electrochemical tests showed that the corrosion potential (Ecorr) and pitting potential (Epit) of the alloy were more positive than those of the composites. The corrosion and pitting potentials of the composites became more negative (active) with increasing fly ash content. The composites showed more positive (noble) repassivation or protection potential (Erp) than the matrix alloy, with the positivity increasing with fly ash content. Analysis of the electrochemical noise data showed that pitting corrosion was the dominant mode of corrosion for the alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Optical microscopy and SEM revealed that Mg2Si phase and Al-Mg intermetallics corroded preferentially to the matrix. The EDS data indicated that the protective oxide film formed on A535 contained Al2O3 and MgO.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to overtake the conventional production of pipe systems of stainless steel grade 316L intended for bioprocessing applications by utilising powder bed fusion laser beam (PBF-LB) technologies. However, challenges such as high surface roughness need to be overcome and corrosion properties improved to meet industry standards. This can be done by applying surface post-treatments to the printed parts. Therefore, the first aim of this thesis was to investigate the ability of different post-treatments of PBF-LB 316L samples, including tumbling, electropolishing, chemical milling, Hirtisation®, and DryLyte®, to reduce the surface roughness. One set of samples was left untreated, as-built set, and used as reference. The second aim was to try to correlate the surface roughness with the corrosion properties of the various post-treated samples. Analytical techniques used included needle profilometry, light optical microscopy (LOM), critical pitting temperature (CPT), cyclic potentiodynamic polarisation (CPDP) and immersion in 1M NaCl and 1M NaOH for two different durations for each solution. While some results were expected, others were surprising. Even though tumbled samples resulted in the lowest surface roughness, the results for immersion and CPDP curves tests indicated the lowest corrosion resistance compared to the other post-treatments. On the other hand, electropolishing resulted in the lowest surface roughness reduction among the post-treated samples. However, these samples had comparatively high corrosion resistance in the CPT and CPDP tests. The DryLyte® samples were tested using two DryLyte® medias where one of them resulted in the second lowest surface roughness and showed highest corrosion resistance in all three corrosion tests even though the process parameters are still to be developed. The results for samples post-treated by Hirtisation® and chemical milling were inconsistent and need further investigations. The reference as-built set showed high corrosion resistance in its untreated state, indicating post-treatments having minor impact on its performance from a corrosion perspective. / Additiv tillverkning (AM) har möjlighet att konkurrera ut konventionell produktion av rörsystem i rostfritt stål typ 316L avsett för bioprocessapplikationer genom att använda pulverbäddsinfusionslaserstråleteknik (PBF-LB). För tekniken kvarstår dock utmaningar för att uppfylla branschstandarder då tillverkningen medför material med hög ytråhet och sämre korrosionsegenskaper än traditionella metoder. Detta kan åstadkommas genom olika typer av efterbearbetning av de printade ytorna. Ett syfte med denna studie var att utvärdera hur olika typer av efterbehandling av PBF-LB 316L (trumling, elektropolering, kemisk etsning, Hirtisation® och DryLyte®) påverkar ytråheten. Som referensmaterial användes obearbetade printade ytor. Studiens andra huvudmål var att undersöka möjligheten för korrelation mellan ytråhet efter behandling och korrosionsegenskaperna. Analyser gjordes med hjälp av nålprofilometri, ljusoptisk mikroskopi (LOM), bestämning av kritisk gropfrätningstemperatur (CPT), framtagning av cykliska potentiodynamiska polarisationskurvor (CPDP) samt nedsänkning i 1M NaCl och 1M NaOH under två olika tidsperioder per lösning. Resultaten var delvis väntade och delvis överraskande. Trots att de trumlade proverna resulterade i lägst ytråhet, visade de elektrokemiska studierna (CPDP) i de olika lösningarna på att lägre korrosionsbeständighet jämfört med övriga efterbehandlingar. Å andra sidan resulterade elektropolering resulterade i den lägsta minskningen i ytråhet bland de efterbehandlade proverna. Dessa prover visade dock på en jämförelsevis hög korrosionsbeständighet i både CPT och CPDP testerna. DryLyte®-proverna studerades med två olika DryLyte®-medier, varav en av dem gav näst lägst ytråhet samt visade högst korrosionsbeständighet i samtliga korrosionstester trots att processparametrarna inte ännu är optimerade för denna nya teknik. Resultaten för prover som efterbehandlats med Hirtisation® och kemisk etsning var tvetydiga och behöver studeras vidare. De obehandlade referensproverna indikerade hög korrosionsbeständighet, vilket tyder på att efterbehandlingar hade minimal påverkan ur ett korrosionsperspektiv.

Hydraulic fracturing operations utilized for shale gas production result in the generation of a large volume of flowback and produced water that contain suspended material, salts, hydrocarbons, metals, chemical additives, and naturally-occurring radioactive material. The water is impounded at drilling sites or treated off-site, resulting in significant generation of residual solids. These are either buried on site or are disposed in lined landfills. The objective of this study was to determine the levels of heavy metals and other elements of concern that will leach from these residual solids when placed in typical disposal environments. For this purpose, laboratory leaching experiments were employed wherein representative samples were brought into contact with a liquid to determine the constituents that would be leached by the liquid and potentially released into the environment. The samples used included sludge resulting from the physicochemical treatment of process water (TS), sludge solidified with cement kiln dust (SS), raw solids obtained by gravity separation of process water (RS), and drilling mud (DM). The samples were subjected to both single extraction (i.e. Shake Extraction Test, SET) and multiple extraction (i.e. Immersion Test, IT) leaching tests. For the shake extraction test, samples were mixed with a specific amount of leaching solution without renewal over a short time period. In the immersion test, samples were immersed in a specific amount of leaching solution that was periodically renewed over a longer period of time. For both these tests, analyses were performed on the filtered eluate. The tests were performed as per standards with modifications. Distilled de-ionized water, synthetic acid rain (pH ~ 4.2), weak acetic acid (pH ~ 2.88), and synthetic landfill leachate were used as leaching solutions to mimic specific disposal environments. Alkali metals (Li, K, Na), alkaline earth metals (Ba, Ca, Mg, Sr) and a halide (Br), which are typically associated with Marcellus shale and produced waters, leached at high concentrations from most of the residual solids sample. The SS sample, due to its stabilization with CKD, had a lower extraction efficiency as compared to the unconsolidated TS and RS samples. In EF 2.9 and EF SLL, the leaching took place under acidic conditions, while for EF DDI and EF 4.2, the leaching occurred in alkaline conditions. EF 2.9 and EF SLL were determined to be the most aggressive leaching solutions, causing the maximum solubility of most inorganic elements. Thus, high amounts of most EOCs may leach from these residual solids in MSW landfills disposed under co-disposal conditions. Agitation, pH and composition of the leaching solution were determined to be important variables in evaluating the leaching potential of a sample. The results of this study should help with the design of further research experiments being undertaken to develop environmentally responsible management/disposal strategies for these residual solids and also prove useful for regulatory authorities in their efforts to develop specific guidelines for the disposal of residuals from shale gas production operations. / Master of Science

An effective procedure and parameter window was developed for underwater friction stir welding (UWFSW) 304L stainless steel with a PCBN tool. UWFSW produced statistically significant: increases in yield strengths, decreases in percent elongation. The ultimate tensile strength was found to be significantly higher at certain parameters. Although sigma was identified in the UWFSWs, a significant reduction of sigma was found in UWFSWs compared to ambient FSWs. The degree of sensitization in UWFSWs was evaluated using double loop EPR testing and oxalic acid electro-etched metallography. Results were compared to base metal, ambient FSW, and arc welds. Upper and lower sensitization localization bands were identified in the UWFSWs. Although higher sensitization levels were present in UWFSWs compared to the arc weld, ambient FSW, and heat treated base metals, the UWFSWs were found less susceptible to corrosion than arc welds due to the subsurface location of the sensitization bands. A SCC analysis of UWFSWs relative to base metal and arc weldments was performed. U-bends were exposed to two 3.5% NaCl cyclic immersion experiments at 21 °C and 63 °C for 1000 hours each. A tertiary test was conducted in a 25% NaCl boiling solution. The UWFSW u-bends were no more susceptible to SCC than base metal in the cyclic immersion tests. In the boiling NaCl test, the SCC of the UWFSWs showed significant improvement over the SCC of arc welds. Arc u-bends cracked entirely within the weld bead and HAZ, while SCC in the UWFSWs showed no cracking localization.