Stress Corrosion Cracking of Sensitized Type 304 Stainless Steel in Sulfate and Chloride Solutions at 250 C and 100 C Available to Purchase

Slow strain rate tests have been used to study the stress corrosion susceptibility of sensitized Type 304 stainless steel in 0.01 M Na₂SO₄ and 0.01 M NaCl as a function of applied potential at 250 and 100 C. At 250 C, intergranular cracking occurs in both solutions at potentials greater than a critical potential, ~ −0.3 V_H, which is independent of the anion, but decreases with increasing degree of sensitization. At potentials higher than 0.0 V_H, simultaneous transgranular and intergranular crack initiation occurs in chloride solution. The potential at which transgranular cracking appears on sensitized material coincides with the potential at which quench-annealed material is susceptible to transgranular cracking. At 100 C, intergranular cracking initiated on pits occurs only in chloride solution at potentials greater than the pitting potential.