Role of residual stresses induced by industrial fabrication on stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of austenitic stainless steel

Microstructural changes in AISI 304L stainless steel due to surface machining: Effect on its susceptibility to chloride stress corrosion cracking

Effect of plastic deformation induced by cold rolling or surface machining on the susceptibility to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking at ambient temperature of 304L austenitic stainless steel was investigated in this study. The test material was subjected to three treatments: (a) solution annealed, (b) cold rolled and (c) surface machined to induce different levels of strain/stresses in the material. Subsequently constant strained samples were produced as per ASTM G30 for each condition and these were exposed to 1 M HCl at ambient temperature until cracking occurred. Subsequently the cracked samples were characterized using stereo microscopy, optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy to understand the effect of microstructural changes produced by straining on the susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking at ambient temperature. Strained surface produced by machining accelerated the process of crack initiation resulting in densely distributed shallow surface cracks in a very short period of time as compared to solution annealed and cold worked sample. Crack propagation in cold worked sample was along the slip lines and cracking occurred much earlier than in the solution annealed sample.

Effect of surface machining and cold working on the ambient temperature chloride stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of AISI 304L stainless steel

Corrosion performance of austenitic-ferritic (duplex) stainless steels UNS S32101, S32202, S32304, and S32205 and austenitic stainless steels UNS S30403 and S31603 was studied in the presence of ch...

Low-Temperature Stress Corrosion Cracking of Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steels Under Chloride Deposits

Chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking of used nuclear fuel welded stainless steel canisters: A review

Work undertaken to elucidate failures of standard austenitic stainless steels in indoor swimming pool atmospheres which have occurred in recent years in Europe and North America is described. The unusual feature of these failures is that they occurred by a stress corrosion cracking (SCC) mechanism at ambient temperature. Conditions which have given rise to room temperature SCC in laboratory tests are described and mechanisms which may give rise to such conditions in practice are postulated. The work described also involved a survey of conditions in indoor swimming pools as well as experimental work on a range of stainless steels in various environments.

J. W. Oldfield

Papers

Room temperature stress corrosion cracking of stainless steels in indoor swimming pool atmospheres