The importance of knowing the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP, also referred to as Ecorr) of nickel-base alloys in hydrogenated water is related to the need to understand the effects of dissolved (i.e., aqueous) hydrogen concentration ([H2]) on primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). Also, the use of a reference electrode (RE) can improve test quality by heightening the ability to detect instances of out-of-specification or unexpected chemistry. Three methods are used to measure and
calculate the ECP of nickel-based alloys in hydrogenated water containing ~ 1 to 150 scc/kg H2 (0.1 to 13.6 ppm H2) at 260 to 360°C. The three methods are referred to as the specimen/component method,
the platinum (Pt) method, and the yttria-stabilized zirconia/iron-iron oxide (YSZ/Fe-Fe3O4) RE method. The specimen/component method relies upon the assumption that the specimen or component behaves
as a hydrogen electrode, and its Ecorr is calculated using the Nemst equation. The present work shows that this method is valid for aqueous...