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A fracture mechanics study of stress corrosion cracking of type-316 austenitic steel

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Abstract

A new test specimen configuration, designated the T-notch double cantilever beam (TNDCB), was developed, calibrated and employed for a fracture mechanics study of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of cold worked Type-316 austenitic stainless steel exposed to hot aqueous solutions of 44.7 wt pct MgCl2. The effects of stress intensity (K I ), temperature (T) and electrochemical potential (E) upon the crack velocity (v) and fractography were investigated. The stress intensity (K ISCC ) below whichv became immeasurably small was ∼12 MN·m−3/2. Above this value, three regions of behavior were observed. Region I exhibitedK I dependent cracking followed by Region II which exhibitedK I independent cracking and an apparent activation energy of 63 to 67 kJ/mol, followed by Region III where cracking again became dependent uponK I . The relative proportions of intergranular and transgranular crack paths were markedly dependent upon bothK I andE, and less sensitive toT. Crack velocity was insensitive to small changes inE with respect to the free corrosion potentials (E corr), but could be terminated by an applied active potential of ∼−0.35 VSCE. The pH within the propagating crack was estimated to be <1.0 atE corr, rising to ∼4.5 at −0.35 VSCE. The mechanism of SCC was discussed with respect to film rupture events caused by crack tip plastic deformation, adsorption controlled processes on the metal surface, and hydrogen diffusion in the metal lattice.

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Author notes

  1. Alan J. Russell

    Present address: Plant Metallurgist, Atomic Energy of Canada, Port Hawkesbury Heavy Water Plant, Nova Scotia, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

    Desmond Tromans (Associate Professor)

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  1. Alan J. Russell
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  2. Desmond Tromans
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Alan J. RUSSELL, formerly Research Student, University of British Columbia

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Russell, A.J., Tromans, D. A fracture mechanics study of stress corrosion cracking of type-316 austenitic steel. Metall Trans A 10, 1229–1238 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02811978

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