Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of thermally-aged Type 310S stainless steels in supercritical water

Abstract

The effect of thermal ageing on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of Type 310S stainless steel in supercritical water (coolant for a supercritical water cooled reactor design concept) was evaluated. SCC was evaluated using the slow strain rate testing technique, straining samples to 10% in a flowing autoclave test facility using 25 MPa SCW at 500 °C with 20 ppm dissolved oxygen. The localized deformation model for SCC initiation and a void-assisted film-cleavage model for SCC propagation can be used to explain the SCC susceptibility exhibited by the thermally-aged Type 310S stainless steel in supercritical water.