Studying the effect of sensitization on the threshold stress intensity and crack growth for chloride stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steel using circumferential notch tensile technique

This paper discusses determination of threshold stress intensity factor (K_Iscc) and crack growth rate of austenite stainless steel in 42 wt.% MgCl₂ environment at 154 °C using the circumferential notch tensile (CNT) technique. The K_Iscc and crack growth rate of solution annealed and sensitized AISI 304 stainless steel in chloride environments have been determined using the CNT technique. Valid K_Iscc data have been produced and compared with results obtained by compact tension and double cantilever beam methods. The K_Iscc of sensitized stainless steel is ∼50% lower than the solution annealed AISI 304 stainless steel. This work investigated the applicability of the CNT technique to determine the K_Iscc of thin and narrow sections of solution annealed and sensitized stainless steel in the chloride environment. This paper also discusses the mechanistic aspects of the difference in fractographic features of the sensitized and solution annealed stainless steel.