The effects of film formation and mechanical factors on the initiation of stress corrosion cracking of unalloyed steels in carbonate solutions

Abstract

Investigations into the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of unalloyed steel St 36 in carbonate‐bicarbonate solutions have shown that SCC susceptibility is limited to the potential range of magnetite formation for both constant load and constant strain rate tests. Experiments to determine the creep behaviour of the steel in the corrosive solution show that creep rates corresponding to the critical strain rates in the constant strain rate test occur during the crack initiation state after loading of the tensile specimen with a constant crack initiating load. These experimental findings establish, therefore, that critical crack initiating strain rates of the unalloyed steel are always present during the initial stage for SCC regardless of the test method used.The cause of crack initiation at grain boundaries can be attributed to the fact that the magnetite layers feature faults and grooves in the oxide along the grain boundaries in the entire critical potential range. These oxide grooves, which are also observed on unstressed steel, cause a notch‐like localized corrosion attack. The depth and crack tip radius of the resultant grain boundary notches appear to be sufficient to initiate propagating cracks under the single action of predominately pure stresses without macroscopic deformation of the steel. This does not necessarily mean, however, that a purely stress induced corrosion process is involved, for it is not out of question that the concentration of stress in the base of grain boundary notches is sufficient to cause localized deformation processes required for crack initiation.