(Continued from Corrosion, 6, No. 8, 249-59 [1950] Aug.)
The acceleration of the rate of corrosion of metals by stress generally is accepted as the definition of stress-corrosion. The limiting situation, stress-corrosion cracking, is the spontaneous cracking which may result from the combined effect of stress and corrosive attack. The types of corrosion phenomena which are to be included under this generic term usually occur under conditions where the extent of general corrosion is slight; i.e., the corrosive medium produces an effect between the extremes of general corrosion and passivity, which results in severe localized attack when the additional influence of stress is present. The subject of corrosion fatigue which also involves the conjoint action of cyclic or repeated stresses and corrosive attack is closely related, and is important enough to warrant separate treatment. The influence of environment upon the creep of metals is rapidly being recognized and constitutes...
