Effects of Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen and Material Factor on SCC Behavior of Low Alloy Steels in High Temperature Water

Abstract

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of heavy-thick low alloy steels was investigated by slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests in high temperature water containing various levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) at temperature of 373K to 593K. Rolled steels with high sulfur content had SCC susceptibility in the wide region of temperature-DO concentration combination, even in DO<0.005ppm at 473K. A forged steel with extremely low sulfur content was almost immune to SCC. SCC maps as functions of temperature and DO concentration were proposed for each steel from the SSRT tests results.