Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of solution pH on the stress corrosion cracking of a specially alloyed martensitic stainless steel, USS 12 MoV stainless, in a 3 percent sodium chloride solution saturated with oxygen. The time for stress corrosion failure was shortest at pH 1 and increased gradually as the pH was increased from 3 to 11. Stress corrosion cracking did not occur when the pH was 11.5 or higher. Anodic polarization caused relatively rapid cracking at pH 1, 6.5, and 12.5, and the mechanism of cracking was corrosion along an active path through the steel. Cathodic polarization at relatively high current densities also caused cracking at pH 1, 6.5, and 12.5, but under these conditions the mechanism was hydrogen embrittlement. Without applied current at pH 6.5, the mechanism is corrosion along an active path, but at pH 1, cither this mechanism or hydrogen embrittlement could cause cracking. 3.5.8, 3.4.7, 6.2.5
Effect of Solution pH on the Mechanism Of Stress Corrosion Cracking Of a Martensitic Stainless Steel★ Available to Purchase
Bhatt
HARSHAD J. BHATT is associated with the Applied Research Laboratory, U. S. Steel Corporation, Monroeville, Pennsylvania. A member of NACE and ASM, he has a BSc in Chemistry from Gujrat University, India and an MS in Metallurgy from Stevens Institute of Technology. His work is in corrosion and stress-corrosion research on stainless and alloy steels.
Phelps
E. H. PHELPS is Division Chief of the Corrosion Technology Division, Applied Research Laboratory, U. S. Steel Corporation, Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He received a BChE degree from Clarkson College of Technology, Potsdam, New York, and an MS and PhD from Case Institute of Technology. His past experience includes three years in corrosion work at the Materials Laboratory, Wright Air Development Center, Dayton, Ohio. Since joining U. S. Steel in 1955, he has been engaged in corrosion research programs on stainless, alloy, and carbon steels. He is a member of the NACE and the Electrochemical Society.
