Abstract

The mechanism of corrosion fatigue crack initiation in stainless steels was examined in both air and chloride solutions. For a tempered martensitic, a duplex and a soft martensitic steel it is shown that the decrease of the fatigue strength from the value measured in air to that measured in corrosive environments depends primarily upon the stability of the protective film. If the passivity is stable, cracks are found to originate almost exclusively at oxide inclusions. Cracking or debonding were found to occur. For the duplex steel in the vicinity of the inclusion there were pronounced emerging persistent slip bands. They cause localized corrosion attack, thus allowing cracks to be formed more easily. If pitting is superposed, crack nucleation always occurs at the base of the pit. Pit formation and growth rate are accelerated by cyclic loading.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.