Stress corrosion cracking of stainless steels

Abstract

The similarities and differences in the stress corrosion cracking response of ferritic and austenitic stainless steels in chloride solutions will be examined. Both classes of materials exhibit a cracking potential: similar transient response (to loading) of the potential in open circuit tests or the current in potentiostatic tests and similar enrichment of chromium and depletion of iron in the film associated with localized corrosion processes. The ferritic steels are more resistant to localized corrosion than are the austenitic steels, which is responsible for the difference in the influence of prior thermal and mechanical history on cracking susceptibility of the two types of steel. Similarities in the fractography of stress corrosion cracks and those produced by brittle delayed failure during cathodic charging of the ferritic steels indicate that hydrogen embrittlement is involved in the failure process.