Stress Corrosion Cracking Testing
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is caused by a convoluted chain reaction of corrosion and cracking. It has been demonstrated that fine pitting is necessary to initiate the activity in some materials. After that, corrosion and mechanical cracking alternate until the material finally breaks.
Hydrogen-induced SCC can occur in a variety of aqueous media on transformable ferritic steels. Embrittlement can occur when hydrogen forms on the surface of the steel due to a cathodic corrosion process, and cracking can happen when that area is subjected to tensile stress.
Under the correct conditions, stress corrosion cracking can weaken or even break practically any metal. The orientation of a fracture is an important diagnostic feature of SCC. It has a branching structure because it constantly moves in the direction of the plane of greatest stress. These split-off fissures are usually obvious to the naked eye. Cracks almost always extend transgranularly and have a branching pattern when seen through a microscope. Stainless steels that haven’t been properly heat treated and caustic solutions are the only two exceptions. The crack propagates along an intergranular plane in such situations.
Refinery conditions are susceptible to numerous species that are known to cause SCC.
- Amine S-Chlorocyclobutyrate Single-Crystal Chloride
- Supercritical Ammonia (SCC) A broken deaerator
- CSC Carbonate Polythionic acid-induced skin cancer
- Acidic SCC Sulfur-Containing Compounds
Infinita Lab testing facilities and extensive experience in the field of metallurgy and corrosion, together with our extensive knowledge of corrosion and the effects of hydrogen on the characteristics of materials, set us apart from our competitors in the field of SCC testing.
