The Heat Treat Doctor

Daniel H. Herring | 630-834-3017 | heattreatdoctor@industrialheating.com

Stress Corrosion Cracking

omponents fail for a variety of reasons, which includes a corrosion phenomena characterized by the
fact that stress (and/or deformation) is present to
provide a trigger that leads to sudden crack formation, propagation and failure. Lets learn more.
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is the type of failure mechanism caused by a combination of environmental, material and
stress conditions (Fig. 1). It is generally considered the most complex of the failure modes since it can attack
soft or hard parts; ferrous or nonferrous materials; ferritic or austenitic structures; and
materials in the unalloyed or alloyed state.
Cracks may propagate in a transgranular or
intergranular fashion or in a combination
of the two. The stress, however, must be in
the form of tensile stress above some minimum (i.e. threshold) value, usually below
the yield stress of the material and in the
presence of a corrosive environment that includes suldes, chlorides, caustics and hydrogen. Temperature is a signicant environmental factor affecting crack formation, and pitting is commonly
associated with SCC phenomena. In addition, catastrophic failure
can occur without signicant deformation or obvious (surface) deterioration of the component.
The SCC phenomena can be affected by many factors in addition to stress level, including alloy composition, microstructure,
concentration of corrosive species, surface nish, micro-environmental surface effects, temperature, electrochemical potential
and the like. Further complications are initiation and propagation
phases and the observation that in some cases cracks initiate at
the base of corrosion pits.
Mechanisms
There is no identied single mechanism explaining SCC, but several theories have been proposed.
Active path propagation: Localized preferential corrosion
(a.k.a. dissolution) at the crack tip, along a susceptible path,
with the bulk of the material remaining in a more passive state.
The rate of metal dissolution can be several orders of magnitude higher when an alloy is in its active state compared to its
passive condition.
Hydrogen embrittlement: High hydrogen concentrates in
highly stressed regions, such as at the crack tip or other stress
concentrators, leading to localized embrittlement.
Brittle lm-induced cleavage: Cracks initiated in a brittle surface lm may propagate (over a microscopic distance) into underlying, more ductile material before being arrested by ductile

22 October 2011 - IndustrialHeating.com

blunting of the crack tip. If the brittle lm re-forms over the

blunted crack tip (under the inuence of corrosion processes),
such a process can be repeated over and over again.
Negating the Effects of SCC
A combination of good design, correct selection of SCC-resistant
materials, environment management, maintenance and inspection can effectively control this type of corrosion. Stresses to consider include:
 Operational conditions
Applied (tensile) stresses
 Thermally induced factors
Temperature gradients
Differential thermal forces (expansion and contraction)
 Buildup of corrosion products
Volumetric dependent
 Assembly issues
Poor t up (tolerance problems)
Tightening/torqueing
Press and shrink ts
Fastener interference
Joining method
 Residual stresses (from the manufacturing processes)
Joining (welding, brazing, soldering)
Forging or casting
Surface treatment (plating, mechanical cleaning, etc.)
Heat treatment (quenching, phase changes)
Forming and shaping
Machining
Cutting and shearing
One of the most important considerations to negate the effects of SCC is choosing the proper alloy. It is relatively simple to
choose a component with adequate strength and good (general)
corrosion resistance. However, knowing the particular type of
SCC issues that may be at work in the application is an important step in achieving a resistant material. In certain environ-

Environment

Materials susceptible

Stress

Fig. 1. Factors contributing to stress corrosion cracking

rial H

TH

Optical microscopy
a) Failed component

(b) Grain-boundary attack (500X unetched)

Scanning electron microscopy

(c) Intergranular attack

Fig. 2. Fastener failure Stress corrosion cracking[2]

ments, it may be necessary to choose a material that will experience some general corrosion since general corrosion is visually
evident, and, with proper preventative maintenance, general
corrosion can be seen and components replaced as necessary.
On the other hand, SCC is rarely visually apparent and often
occurs without warning (Fig. 2). When it does, a catastrophic
failure often follows.
Other methods include removing the corrosive environment
or changing the manufacturing process or design to reduce the
tensile stresses. A combination of good design, careful selection of
stress corrosion-resistant grades (e.g., stainless steel) and effective
management, including maintenance and inspection, all can effectively control corrosion. Specic steps can be taken to prevent
the onset of SCC and minimize its consequences when it does
occur by:
Consideration of the potential for SCC during the design and
fabrication of components
Selection of appropriate material grades
Maintaining a chemical balance of the environment
Ensuring that the potential for (organic or inorganic) contamination is minimized
Maintaining proper environmental conditions (e.g., air quality)
Regular inspections of components for signs of corrosion and
SCC
Importance of Material Selection
In many applications, austenitic stainless steel fasteners (e.g.,
ASTM A193 grade B8) of 304 and 316 stainless steels provide good
general corrosion resistance and are commonly requested. However, in marine environments where stainless steel would seem
to be the logical choice, alloy-steel fasteners are preferred due to
SCC concerns. Chlorides, uorides and other halogens are known
catalysts for chloride SCC. In order to reduce their susceptibility
to general corrosion, alloy-steel fasteners such as grade B7 are usually provided with some type of protective coating (e.g., zinc or
cadmium plating). However, the designer must still be aware that
24 October 2011 - IndustrialHeating.com

this can lead to another form of corrosion due to environmental

stress cracking in the form of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) or
a related failure mode, solid metal induced embrittlement (SMIE).
Therefore, appropriate cautions must be taken.
In addition to SCC, other forms of embrittlement include: (a)
environmentally induced cracking due to such factors as cold work
(i.e. residual stress), welding, grinding, thermal treatment or service conditions; (b) hydrogen embrittlement from plating, welding, cathodic protection and as a by-product of general corrosion;
(c) corrosion fatigue; and (d) liquid-metal embrittlement.
In Conclusion
Careful consideration of the factors discussed above as well as
taking the time to understand how and where a component will
be used in service can help minimize stress corrosion cracking in
most applications. IH
References:
1. Naumann, Friedrich Karl, Failure Analysis: Case Histories and
Methodology, Dr. Riederer-Verlag GmbH, 183.
2. Mr. Alan Stone, Aston Metallurgical Services Company, Inc. (www.
astonmet.com), private correspondence.
3. Reilly, Peter, Swimming in the Dangerous Waters of Stress Corrosion,
Roof Consultant (www.roofconsultant.co.uk)
4. Spence, Thomas, Selecting the Right Fastener, Materials Newsletter,
Flowserve (www.owserve.com).
5. Fastenal (www.fastenal.com)
6. www.corrosion-club.com
7. Corrosion Doctors (corrosion-doctors.org)
8. ASTM International (www.astm.org)

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