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Title: Analysis of the effects of corrosion potential and impurities on the stress corrosion cracking of Type 304 stainless steel

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5531224

Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of sensitized Type 304 stainless steel (SS) has been a recurrent problem in the high-temperature water environment of boiling-water-reactors (BWRs) over the past two decades. The synergistic effects of environmental and material variables on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Type 304 SS were investigated at 289/sup 0/C by means of constant-extension-rate-tensile (CERT) tests at a strain rate of 1 x 10/sup -6//s. Correlations among environmental variables (dissolved oxygen and impurity concentrations, viz., H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, steady-state open-circuit electro-chemical potential) and the SCC susceptibility parameters have been determined. The extensive results over a wide range of open-circuit corrosion potential conditions were analyzed by a model which accounts for the effects of environmental variables, microstructure (e.g., degree of sensitization) and strain rate. The results are consistent with a slip-dissolution mechanism for SCC. Furthermore, representation of the dependence of corrosion potential and average crack growth rate on the dissolved oxygen concentration of the water by a simple mathematical function, in conjunction with the theoretical model, enables predictions of both strain rate and environmental effects on the SCC susceptibility of sensitized Type 304 SS. 12 refs., 7 figs.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5531224
Report Number(s):
CONF-850902-2; ON: TI85014964
Resource Relation:
Conference: 2. international symposium on environmental degradation of materials in nuclear power systems--water reactors, Monterey, CA, USA, 9 Sep 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English