Messrs. Holzworth, Beck and Fontana demonstrate quite conclusively that the use of a 1200° R. stress relieving temperature for welded Type 347 will cause this material to become susceptible to knife line corrosion. Unfortunately, however, the authors do not indicate the stress relieving temperature that should be used for fabricated and welded articles of Type 347.
Actually, many stainless steel producers and consumers claim that stress relieving of the austenitic stainless steels is not necessary. They argue that these steels are inherently tough and ductile and thus do not require a stress relieving treatment. These arguments are logical and are given further support by the authors’ evidence that a stress relief of welded Type 347 at 1200° F. is detrimental to corrosion resistance. However, for many applications, particularly those that involve exposure to environments that would cause stress corrosion cracking, stress relieving of the austenitic stainless steels is a necessary...
