THEORETICAL MODEL FOR HYDROGEN-INDUCED has a significant effect on the CGR, which is consistent with

CRACKING IN STEELS IN AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTS some previous observations and predictions.

Jiahe Ai a, JeongSeb Han b, WanYoung Maeng c,

5e-7
and Digby D. Macdonald a (a) With hydrogen effect 2.03
Without hydrogen effect

Crack growth rate /mm/s

a
Center for Electrochemical Science and Technology; 4e-7 With hydrogen effect
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 1.96
Pennsylvania State University; University Park, PA 16802, 3e-7

pHtip
USA 1.89
b 2e-7
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, DongA
University, 840 Hadan 2 Dong, Saha Gu, Busan, 604-714,
1e-7 1.82
Korea
c
Korea Atom Energy Research Institute, POB 105, Taejon,
0 1.75
Korea
1 2 3 4 5 6
Stress corrosion cracking is a most catastrophic form of Crack length /mm
corrosion. Extensive research has been carried out in this
area, but the mechanism is still controversial. Since the
stress corrosion cracking is a corrosion-related process, its .51
(b)
mechanism is inevitably correlated with the anodic and -.37
cathodic reactions that are intrinsically coupled. Thus two
most important mechanisms, the anodic path dissolution and .50

Emouth-tip /V
hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC), have frequently been
Etip /VSHE

proposed to qualitatively explain this phenomenon. In the
development of theoretical models, the coupled-
environment fracture model (CEFM) [1-4] was devised to
estimate the crack growth rate (CGR) in steels under high
temperature aqueous solution conditions, while closely
conforming to the natural laws and experiment. However,
more recent experiments, in which the noise in the coupling
current has been examined, suggests that crack growth in
Type 304 SS in high temperature aqueous systems is due to
hydrogen induced fracture. That being the case, the CEFM
treatment of the processes that occur at the crack tip needs
to be modified to recognize the role of hydrogen.
In the present work, a theoretical model for hydrogen-
induced fracture has been developed to estimate the inter-
granular CGR in steels in aqueous environments. In this
model, crack growth is assumed to occur by the nucleation
and growth of voids ahead of the crack tip along a grain
boundary, and then linkage with the main crack due to
stress-induced fracture of the remaining ligaments. Under
proper electrochemical conditions, hydrogen evolution at
the crack tip results in atomic hydrogen diffusing ahead of
the crack tip followed by recombination in the voids to
generate a pressure that increases with time. The hydrogen
pressure adds to the hydrostatic stress on the void, due to
mechanical loading, resulting in an increase in void rupture
frequency and hence in the crack growth rate. The CGR
was calculated for Type 304 stainless steel in boiling water
reactor recirculation circuits. The calculated results indicate
that hydrogen evolution at the crack tip under some
electrochemical conditions in the boiling water reactor case
-.38
.49
-.39
.48
-.40
1 2 3 4 5 6
Crack length /mm
Figure 1. Variation of (a) the CGR and pH at crack tip
(pHtip), (b) the potential at crack tip (Etip) and potential drop
from the crack mouth to tip (Emouth-tip) vs. the crack length
(the distance from the crack mouth to tip), for Type 304
stainless steel in BWR primary heat transport circuits. In
the calculation, average void spacing: 3 µm; the pH at crack
mouth: 5.67; the pipe wall thickness: 20 mm; the crack
opening: 10 µm; H2: 1.0 × 10-4 ppb; H2O2: 50 ppb and O2:
200 ppb.
1. D.D. Macdonald, and M. Urquidi-Macdonald, Corrosion
Science, 32 (1991) 51.
2. D.D. Macdonald, and M. Urquidi-Macdonald, “Advanced
Coupled Environment Fracture Model for Predicting
Crack Growth Rates” in Proceedings of “Parkins
Symposium on Fundamental Aspects of Stress Corrosion
Cracking” edited by S.M. Bruemmer, E.I. Meletis, R.H.
Jones, Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct.21-24,1991, p.443.
3. D.D. Macdonald, P.C. Lu, M. Urquidi-Macdonald, and
T.K. Yeh, Corrosion 52 (1996) 768.
4. G.R. Engelhardt, D.D. Macdonald, and M. Urquidi-
Macdonald, Corrosion Science, 41 (1999) 2267.