Stress Corrosion Cracking of Type 403 Stainless Steel in Na₂SO₄ at 100 C

The slow strain rate tensile test was used to study at 100 C the susceptibility of sensitized 403 stainless steel to SCC in sodium sulfate solutions differing in pH. In a solution of pH 2, pitting was found to occur in the active/passive potential region. At pH 7 and 10, pitting occurred above a certain critical potential. When the specimen was strained, cracks nucleated intergranularly starting from corrosion pits.