Stress Corrosion Cracking Of Face-Centered-Cubic Alloys

Abstract

Electron microscopy has been used to study the initial stages of stress corrosion cracking in some single phase copper-based alloys and an austenitic steel. Observations show that dislocations are subject to preferential dissolution, and are the principal sites of crack initiation in both intergranular and transgranular modes of failure. The transgranular cracks are initiated along {111} planes and are associated with alloys containing a planar arrangement of dislocations. Dissolution of dislocations is believed to be dependent upon segregation of solute atoms. A few studies on crack propagation are consistent with a mechanism of accelerated dissolution, supplemented by ductile tearing.