Chloride Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking of Stainless Steel: Monitoring of Crack Initiation with Direct Current Potential Drop

Abstract

The early stages of chloride induced stress corrosion cracking (Cl SCC) of 304 stainless steel (SS304) will be studied for CANDU moderator environments, with water temperature below 100°C. Crack initiation will be monitored using Direct Current Potential Drop (DCPD). A 3D printed tool has been designed to enable a repeatable positioning of the potential measurement leads on the notched flat dog-bone sample. The first step will be to assess DCPD capabilities for crack initiation detection and determine the optimal experimental configuration that would provide the most reliable results. Different stress and environment conditions will then be compared to assess the impact of various factors on Cl SCC.