The long term objective of the present work is to provide an insight to the nucleation and evolution of deformation patterns occurring during transgranular (TG) stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and produce new alternatives for addressing the nature of the embrittlement process. Flat, tensile α- brass (72Cu-28Zn) specimens were tested in 5M NH4OH solution at a strain rate of 1x10−5s−1. Slip band spacing (SBS) and slip band heights (SBH) were measured as a function of strain by conducting interrupted experiments in the SCC environment and were compared with those developed in specimens tested in laboratory air. The results showed that the presence of the SCC environment during straining promotes localized plastic deformation at the near-surface region, but more importantly produces a completely different deformation pattern compared to that developed in laboratory air. The deformation evolved in the presence of the electrolyte was highly localized, exhibiting a fine SBS but coarse SBH and slip band length. In addition, a periodicity was observed in the spacing of the crack initiation sites. The amount of localized strain developed at the specimen near-surface region prior to nucleation of stress corrosion cracks was found to be equivalent to the strain required for ductile fracture of the material in air, suggesting the existence of a fundamental fracture criterion. The TGSCC process is considered in view of the presently observed deformation patterns.

Subject
Materials, Deformation, Dislocation, Crack initiation, Dissolution, Crack propagation, Transgranular stress corrosion cracking, Stress cracking, Density, Stress, Slip, Fracture, Stress corrosion cracking
Keywords:
stress corrosion cracking, crack initiation, crack propagation, crack patterning, transgranular cracking, slip bands, plastic deformation, slip localization, dissolution, α-brass
© 1995 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1995
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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