Quantifying the Crack Tip Oxidation Kinetics Parameters and Their Contribution to Stress Corrosion Cracking in High Temperature Water

Author(s):  
Tetsuo Shoji ◽  
Zhanpeng Lu ◽  
He Xue ◽  
Yubing Qiu ◽  
Kazuhiko Sakaguchi

Stress corrosion cracking is the result of the interaction between crack tip oxidation kinetics and crack tip mechanics. Oxidation kinetic processes for austenitic alloys in high temperate water environments are analyzed, emphasizing the effects of alloy composition and microstructure, temperature, water chemistry, etc. The crack chemistry is investigated with introducing the effect of aging on reactivity of crack sides and the throwing power of bulk water chemistry. Oxidation rate constants under various conditions are calculated based on quasi-solid state oxidation mechanism, which are incorporated in the theoretical growth rate equation to quantify the effects of several key parameters on stress corrosion cracking growth rates of austenitic alloys in high temperature water environments, especially the effect of environmental parameters on stress corrosion cracking of Ni-base alloys in simulated PWR environments and stainless steels in simulated boiling water environments.

Author(s):  
Zhanpeng Lu ◽  
He Xue ◽  
Hiroyoshi Murakami ◽  
Tetsuo Shoji

Locally delaminating cracks, i.e. cracks that grow along the plane that is parallel to the principal applied loading direction, are observed on the fracture surfaces of heavily strain-hardened austenitic alloys after stress corrosion cracking tests in hydrogenated high temperature water environments. These delaminating cracks often occur locally on mixed intergranular-transgranular stress corrosion cracking fracture surfaces. The crack tip stress field is analyzed by finite element analysis. The physical-chemical degradation effect of stress on oxidation kinetics is formulated. The combinations of local oxidation penetration, relatively slow crack growth on the principal plane, and locally high crack tip stress are favorable for the growth of delaminating cracks. These conditions can be satisfied in stress corrosion cracking for austenitic alloys with heavily deformed microstructures and high strengths in hydrogenated high temperature water environments.


2014 ◽  
Vol 494-495 ◽  
pp. 651-654
Author(s):  
He Xue ◽  
Jin Tian ◽  
Fu Qiang Yang

Stress and strain at the crack tip are main mechanical parameters which estimate the stress corrosion cracking rate in metals, and the creep of metals in high temperature and high pressure environment will lead to the redistribution of stress and strain nearby the crack tip. The effects of creep on stress and strain nearby the crack tip are discussed by using 1T-CT specimen and finite element method in this study. The investigated results indicate that both increasing of temperature and stress intensity factor would induce the equivalent creep strain increases at the crack tip.


2004 ◽  
Vol 261-263 ◽  
pp. 885-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.S. Was ◽  
B. Alexandreanu ◽  
J. Busby

Grain boundary properties are known to affect the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking behavior of austenitic alloys in high temperature water. However, it is only recently that sufficient evidence has accumulated to show that the disposition of deformation in and near the grain boundary plays a key role in intergranular cracking. Grain boundaries that can transmit strain to adjacent grains can relieve stresses without undergoing localized deformation. Grain boundaries that cannot transmit strain will either experience high stresses or high strains. High stresses can lead to wedge-type cracking and sliding can lead to rupture of the protective oxide film. These processes are also applicable to irradiated materials in which the deformation can become highly localized in the form of dislocation channels and deformation twins. These deformation bands conduct tremendous amounts of strain to the grain boundaries. The capability of a boundary to transmit strain to a neighboring grain will determine its propensity for cracking, analogous to that in unirradiated metals. Thus, IGSCC in unirradiated materials and IASCC in irradiated materials are governed by the same local processes of stress and strain accommodation at the boundary.


Author(s):  
Zhanpeng Lu ◽  
He Xue ◽  
Tetsuo Shoji

Crack kinking or branching has been observed in laboratory stress corrosion cracking tests and in some components suffering from stress corrosion cracking in nuclear power plant coolants. There are several types of crack branching: i.e., macroscopic multiple branching cracks, local crack branching or the combination of both. Crack branching affects the crack tip stress/strain distribution in terms of stress intensity factor and crack tip strain rate, and consequently affects crack growth behavior. The crack tip mechanical fields in some typical crack branching systems are quantified using empirical, analytical and numerical simulation methods. The effect of crack branching is less significant in contoured double cantilever beam specimens than in compact tension specimens for the same size and configuration of branched cracks. The applications of the analysis results to some observed crack branching phenomena of austenitic alloys in high temperature water environments are discussed based on the theoretical crack growth rate formulation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document