A coupled diffusion and cohesive zone model for intergranular stress corrosion cracking in 316L stainless steel exposed to cold work in primary water conditions

A multi-physics model was developed to simulate intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in austenitic stainless steel. The model is implicit, coupled with a segregated solution scheme including a diffusion equation based on Fick's second law and a cohesive zone description for the fracture mechanics part. The degradation is modelled with an anodic slip-dissolution equation that uses the effective cohesive traction and concentration as the main parameters. The diffusivity in Fick's second law creates a moving boundary. The cohesive zone is modelled using the PPR model with extended degradation properties using the degradation parameter chi. The model was evaluated against experiments on the effects of cold work on IGSCC. The model showed good agreements for both shifting amount of cold work, illustrated by only changing the yield stress in the bulk material and for shifting the stress intensity factor. The model versatility was also shown by simulating IGSCC in Alloy 600, also with good agreements. The change in the bulk material made crack propagation more disadvantageous for the lower yield stress where the crack blunts, creates more plastic strain and lowers the cohesive traction. The model predicts that cold work of the bulk material creates a faster crack growth velocity due to lower amount of plastic deformation in the bulk and higher cohesive traction. The higher crack growth rate is a coupled effect of both fracture and oxidation properties.