Stainless steel pitting and early-stage stress corrosion cracking under ultra-low elastic load

Pitting and crack nucleation at the early stages of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) under ultra-low elastic load were studied. Pits initiated on the sample surface and grew faster in the thickness direction rather than other directions. This corresponds with the stress and strain concentrations calculated using the finite element analysis. At the ultra-low elastic stress levels it is essential for the stress corrosion cracks to emanate from the pits/defects on the sample surface. Furthermore, the preferential SCC initiation sites are at the shoulders, rather than at the bottoms of the surface pits/defects. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.