Microstructure and stress corrosion cracking of a SA508-309L/308L-316L dissimilar metal weld joint in primary pressurized water reactor environment

Abstract

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of an SA508-309 L/308 L–316 L dissimilar metal weld joint in primary pressurized water reactor environment was investigated by the interrupted slow strain rate tension tests following a microstructure characterization. The 308 L weld metal shows a higher content of δ ferrite than the 309 L weld metal. In addition, no obvious Cr-depletion but carbides precipitation at γ/δ phase boundaries was observed in both 308 L and 309 L weld metals. The slow strain rate tension tests showed that the SCC susceptibility of the base and weld metals of the dissimilar metal weld joint follows the order of SA508 < 308 L weld metal < the heat affected zone of 316 L base metal < 309 L weld metal. The higher SCC susceptibility of 309 L weld metal than that of 308 L weld metal is likely due to the lower content of δ ferrite. In addition, a preferential SCC initiation in the 309 L weld metal adjacent to 308 L weld metal is attributed to few carbides in this region.