A Fundamental Study on Stress Corrosion Cracking of SUS 304 Steel in High Temperature Water

Abstract

SCC susceptibility of sensitized SUS 304 stainless steel in high temperature water was studied. The results obtained are as follows.
SCC susceptibility was increased by adding crevices to the tensile specimen surface, for the corrodent became acidified by hydrolysis in crevices. SCC susceptibility was best fit to TTS curve obtained by EPR test, not by other corrosion tests such as Strauss test or the grain boundary corrosion test in high temperature water. In addition, by giving a simulated weld thermal cycle before the sensitizing heat treatment, the sensitization was clearly promoted. This seemed to be caused by the reason that nucleation of carbide occured in the simulated weld thermal cycle process and it promoted the carbide growth and the formation of Cr poor layer around carbide in the subsequent sensitization process.