STRESS

CORROSION
BY ABHINAV GUPTA(12108030)
WHAT IS STRESS CORROSION ?
 Stress corrosion refers to cracking caused by the
simultaneous presence of tensile stress and a
corrosive medium.
 It is thus also known as “STRESS CORROSION
CRACKING”(SCC).
 The two prominent examples of stress-corrosion
cracking are season cracking of brass and the
caustic embrittlement of steel
Requirements for SCC
 Environmental
composition
Environment
 Stress
 Metal
 Temperature;
Examples : Brasses crack in
NH3, not in Cl-;
SSs crack in Cl-, not in NH3;
Metallurgy Stress
SSs crack in caustic, not in
H2SO4, HNO3, CH3COOH, . . .
etc.
 During stress-corrosion
cracking, the metal or
alloy is virtually
unattacked over most
of its surface, while
fine cracks progress
through it.
Here stress corrosion
cracking of brass is
shown.
Season cracking
 Occurs where brass
case is crimped onto
bullet, i.e., in area of
high residual stress.
 Common in warm, wet
environments (e.g.,
tropics).
 Ammonia (from
decomposition of
organic matter, etc.) Season cracking of German
ammunition.
must be present.
SCC: important features
 Materials breakdown happens at macroscopic scale,
without deformation and perpendicular to the stress
direction.
 No measurable material removal
 No visible corrosion products
 In most of the SCC failure, corrosion initiation is difficult
to detect.
 Major damage during SCC occurs in late stages
as cracks progress until final failure occurs by
mechanical rupture.
Mechanism of SCC
 SCC is very complex. There is probably no
single mechanism, but several operating at the
same time. Models (scientific descriptions) of
mechanisms of two types:
• dissolution
• mechanical fracture
Mechanical rupture model of crack propagation
Environments causing SCC of particular metals
Prevention of SCC
1. Lowering the stress below the threshold value if
one exists :This may be done by annealing in the
case of residual stresses, thickening the section,
or reducing the load. For example : Plain carbon
steels may be stress-relief annealed at 590 to
650C.
2. Eliminating the critical environmental species by:
1. de-gasification
2. Demineralization
3. distillation.
Prevention of SCC continued…
3. Changing the alloy is one possible recourse if neither
the environment nor stress can be changed. For
example, it is common practice to use Inconel (raising
the nickel content) when type 304 stainless steel is not
satisfactory. Although carbon steel is less resistant to
general corrosion, it is more resistant to stress-
corrosion cracking than are the stainless steels. Thus,
under conditions which tend to produce stress-corrosion
cracking, carbon steels are often found to be more
satisfactory than the stainless steels. For example,
heat exchangers used in contact with seawater or
brackish waters are often constructed of ordinary mild
steel.
Prevention of SCC continued…
 Other methods to prevent SCC are:-
4. Cathodic protection

5. Adding inhibitors

6. Coatings

7. Shot-peening