Abstract
The effect of mechanical stress on the electrode potential of metals is an important consideration in stress corrosion. This article presents measurements of the electrical potential changes with time during the loading and unloading processes for silver, mild steel and brass elastically stressed in tension in 3½ percent sodium chloride solutions. The cell consisted of a metal cylinder which served as both an electrolyte container and reference electrode. It was shown in a previous article2 that the electrical potential responses of silver, steel and brass elastically stressed in tension in silver nitrate, ferrous sulfate and copper sulfate solutions, respectively, were reversible and reproducible. The electrical potential responses of these metals in sodium chloride solutions, however, were reproducible but not reversible. During the loading process the test wire attained a steady-state negative potential. Removal of the load was followed by a rapid potential change in the more negative potential direction to a maximum and then a subsequent exponential decay. For both silver and steel the steady state potentials of the loading process and the maximum amplitude of the unloading response assumed more negative potentials with increase in tensile stress. 3.5.8, 3.6.5, 6.3.11, 6.2.3, 6.3.6