Characterization of the crack initiation and propagation in Alloy 600 with a cold-worked surface

The crack initiation on a cold-worked surface of Alloy 600, exposed to simulated pressurized water reactor primary water, was mechanistically studied through high-resolution characterization. Mechanical polishing introduced a thin recrystallization layer on the specimen surface, which lead to the crack initiation along highly-deformed recrystallization grain boundaries after preferential oxidation. Intergranular crack propagation occurred once the initiation cracks met the matrix grain boundaries under the external loading and the residual stress introduced by the prior 20% cold working. The controlling mechanism of SCC crack propagation was believed to be an intergranular selective oxidation mechanism.