THE EFFECT OF FLUID FLOW ON THE STRESS CORROSION CRACKING OF SENSITIZED TYPE 304 STAINLESS STEEL IN 0.01 M SODIUM-SULFATE SOLUTION AT 250 DEGREES CENTIGRADE

The effect of fluid flow on stress corrosion cracking of sensitized AISI 304 stainless steel has been studied in air-saturated and deaerated 0.01 M Na(,2)SO(,4) solution under open circuit conditions and at an applied potential of -10mV(,SHE), respectively, at 250(DEGREES)C, and using slow strain rate tensile tests. This work has demonstrated that the time to failure increases in the neutral and acidified solutions, while it does not change considerably in the alkaline solution, with increasing fluid flow velocity. Repassivation, AC impedance and anodic polarization curve measurements have shown that the increased time to failure results from an increased repassivation rate of the alloy and from improved protective properties of the oxide film in the flowing solution.