The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of a commercial austenitic stainless steel type 316 was investigated as a function of sensitizing temperature (800–1300 K) and test temperature (333–373 K) in 0.82 kmol/m 3 sulphuric acid solution by using a constant load method, to compare with that already obtained in 0.82 kmol/m 3 hydrochloric acid solution. The three parameters ( l ss, steady state elongation rate, t ss, transition time, t f, time to failure) were obtained from corrosion elongation curve and were divided into three regions of applied stress, irrespective of sensitizing temperature, which are dominated by either stress, SCC or corrosion. In the SCC-dominated region, the logarithm of l ss was a linear function of the logarithm of t f regardless of applied stress and test temperature for each sensitized specimens, showing that l ss became a useful parameter for prediction of t f, although the slope depended upon sensitizing temperature. The maximum applied stress, the minimum applied stress and the value of t ss/ t f in the SCC-dominated region depended upon sensitizing temperature. Specifically, at a sensitizing temperature of around 950 K the maximum applied stress was smaller at a test temperature of 353 K, but larger at a test temperature of 333 K than that of the solution annealed specimens. In addition, sulphate ions were found to become more aggressive than chloride ions for the SCC susceptibility of the specimens with the most severe sensitization. On the basis of the results obtained, the effect of sensitization on SCC, the role of sulphate ions and an intergranular mechanism were discussed in comparison to the results of the sensitized specimens obtained in 0.82 kmol/m 3 HCl solution.