Electrochemical Noise Generation during SCC of a High-Strength Carbon Steel

Stress-corrosion cracking experiments have been performed on a high-strength carbon steel exposed to acidified sodium chloride solution poisoned with sodium sulfide. The electrochemical potential of the specimen was monitored during the experiment, and this paper reports the observed electrochemical noise. The analysis was performed using both the maximum entropy method and the discrete Fourier transform. A consistent noise behavior was observed throughout the experiment, with the only perturbation of any significance being associated with major transients that occurred when the specimen actually failed. The average noise power measured over a period of the same order as the duration of the transients has been found to be an effective method of detecting them, but it is expected that this will be much more difficult in service conditions.