SEDL / STP / STP792-EB / STP31767S

A Mechanistic Interpretation of the Relationship Between Temper Embrittlement and the Stress-Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of Nickel-Chromium Steels

Bandyopadhyay, N
Research associate, physical metallurgist, and corrosion scientists, General Electric Co., Research and Development Center, Schenectady, N.Y.

Briant, CL
Research associate, physical metallurgist, and corrosion scientists, General Electric Co., Research and Development Center, Schenectady, N.Y.

Emigh, P
Research associate, physical metallurgist, and corrosion scientists, General Electric Co., Research and Development Center, Schenectady, N.Y.

Ford, FP
Research associate, physical metallurgist, and corrosion scientists, General Electric Co., Research and Development Center, Schenectady, N.Y.

Pages: 17    Published: Jan 1983

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Abstract

The relationship between temper embrittlement and caustic embrittlement is confirmed for a 3.5Ni-Cr steel at a specific operating temperature, pH, and potential. The increased cracking susceptibility, associated with phosphorus segregation to the prior austenite grain boundary, is explained by the formation of an inhibiting environment in the crack enclave which ensures the maintenance of a sharp crack. Detemper embrittlement leads to crack blunting due to dissolution on the crack sides and the subsequent lowering of effective crack-tip stress and cracking susceptibility.