A Criterion to predict under what conditions EAC would initiate in cracks in a high-sulfur steel in contact with low-oxygen water was recently proposed by Wire and Li (1996). This EAC initiation criterion was developed using transient analyses for the diffusion of sulfides plus experimental test results. The experiments were conducted mainly on compact tension-type specimens with initial crack depths of about 2.54mm. The present paper expands upon the work of Wire and Li by presenting results for significantly deeper initial semi-elliptical surface cracks. In addition, in one specimen, the surface crack penetrated weld-deposited cladding into the high-sulfur steel. The results for the semi-elliptical surface cracks agreed quite well with the EAC initiation criterion, and provide confirmation of the applicability of the criterion to crack configurations with more restricted access to water.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
1.
Atkinson
J. D.
Forrest
J. E.
1985
, “Factors Influencing the Rate of Growth of Fatigue Cracks in RPV Steels Exposed to a Simulated PWR Primary Water Environment
,” Corrosion Science
, Vol. 25
, No. 8/9
, pp. 607
–631
.2.
Combrade, P., Foucault, M., and Slama, G., 1988, “Effect of Sulfur on the Fatigue Crack Growth Rates of Pressure Vessel Steel Exposed to PWR Coolant: Preliminary Model for Prediction of the Transitions Between High and Low Crack Growth Rates,” Proceedings, Third International Conference, Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems—Water Reactors, G. J. Theus and J. R. Weeks, eds., TMS-AIME, pp. 269–276.
3.
Eason
E. D.
Andrew
S. P.
Warmbrodt
S. B.
Nelson
E. E.
Gilman
J. D.
1989
, “Analysis of Pressure Vessel Steel Fatigue Tests in Air
,” Nuclear Engineering and Design
, Vol. 115
, No. 1
, pp. 23
–30
.4.
Gabetta, G., and Caretta, E., 1987, “Corrosion-Potential Measurements Inside and Outside a Growing Crack During Environmental Fatigue Tests at 288°C, with Different Oxygen Contents,” Corrosion Chemistry Within Pits, Crevices and Cracks, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, U.K., pp. 287–300.
5.
Hartt, W. H., Tennant, J. S., and Hooper, W. C., 1978, “Solution Chemistry Modification Within Corrosion-Fatigue Cracks,” Corrosion-Fatigue Technology, ASTM STP 642, pp. 5–18.
6.
James
L. A.
1994
, “The Effect of Temperature and Cyclic Frequency Upon Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of Several Steels in an Elevated Temperature Aqueous Environment
,” ASME JOURNAL OF PRESSURE VESSEL TECHNOLOGY
, Vol. 116
, pp. 122
–127
.7.
James, L. A., 1995, “Ramberg-Osgood Strain-Hardening Characterization of an ASTM A302-B Steel,” ibid., Vol. 117, pp. 341–345.
8.
James
L. A.
1997
, “Surface-Crack Aspect Ratio Development During Corrosion-Fatigue Crack Growth in Low-Alloy Steels
,” Nuclear Engineering and Design
, Vol. 172
, pp. 61
–71
.9.
James, L. A., and Poskie, T. J., 1993, “Correlation Between MnS Area Fraction and EAC Behavior,” WAPD-T-3012; available from US DOE Office of Scientific Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.
10.
James
L. A.
Wilson
W. K.
1994
, “Development of a Surface-Cracked Specimen
,” Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics
, Vol. 20
, No. 2
, pp. 115
–121
.11.
James
L. A.
Wire
G. L.
Cullen
W. H.
1995
, “The Effect of Water Flow Rate Upon the Environmentally Assisted Cracking Response of a Low-Alloy Steel
,” ASME JOURNAL OF PRESSURE VESSEL TECHNOLOGY
, Vol. 117
, pp. 238
–244
.12.
James
L. A.
Mills
W. J.
1995
, “Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior of Wrought Alloy 600 and Weld-Deposited EN82H in an Elevated Temperature Aqueous Environment
,” Service Experience, Structural Integrity, Severe Accidents, and Erosion in Nuclear and Fossil Plants, ASME PVP
-Vol. 303
, pp. 21
–36
.13.
James
L. A.
Lee
H. B.
Wire
G. L.
1997
a, “The Effect of Water Flow Rate Upon the Environmentally-Assisted Cracking Response of a Low-Alloy Steel: Experimental Results Plus Modeling
,” ASME JOURNAL OF PRESSURE VESSEL TECHNOLOGY
, Vol. 119
, pp. 83
–90
.14.
James, L. A., Auten, T. A., Poskie, T. J., and Cullen, W. H., 1997b, “Corrosion-Fatigue Crack Growth in Clad Low-Alloy Steels: Part I, Medium-Sulfur Forging Steel,” ibid., Vol. 119, pp. 249–254.
15.
James, L. A., Lee, H. B., Wire, G. L., Novak, S. R., and Cullen, W. H., 1997c, “Corrosion-Fatigue Crack Growth in Clad Low-Alloy Steels: Part II, Water Flow Rate Effects in High-Sulfur Plate Steel,” ibid., Vol. 119, pp. 255–263.
16.
Kondo, T., Kikuyama, T., Nakajima, H., Shindo, M., and Nagasaki, R., 1972a, “Corrosion Fatigue of ASTM A-302B Steel in High Temperature Water, the Simulated Nuclear Reactor Environment,” Corrosion Fatigue: Chemistry, Mechanics and Microstructure, NACE-2, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, pp. 539–556.
17.
Kondo, T., Kikuyama, T., Nakajima, H., and Shindo, M., 1972b, “Fatigue of Low-Alloy Steels in Aqueous Environment at Elevated Temperatures,” Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Proceedings, International Conference on Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Vol. 3, The Society of Materials Science, Japan, pp. 319–327.
18.
Newman, J. C., and Raju, I. S., 1984, “Stress Intensity Factor Equations for Cracks in Three-Dimensional Finite Bodies Subjected to Tension and Bending Loads,” NASA Technical Memorandum 85793.
19.
Turnbull
A.
Thomas
J. G. N.
1982
, “A Model of Crack Electrochemistry for Steels in the Active State Based on Mass Transport by Diffusion and Ion Migration
,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society
, Vol. 129
, No. 7
, pp. 1412
–1422
.20.
Turnbull, A., 1983, “A Theoretical Evaluation of the Oxygen Concentration in a Corrosion-Fatigue Crack,” Corrosion-Fatigue; Mechanics, Metallurgy, Electrochemistry, and Engineering, ASTM STP 801, pp. 351–366.
21.
Turnbull
A.
Psaila-Dombrowski
M.
1992
, “A Review of Electrochemistry of Relevance to Environment-Assisted Cracking in Light Water Reactors
,” Corrosion Science
, Vol. 33
, No. 12
, pp. 1925
–1966
.22.
VanDerSluys, W. A., and Emanuelson, R. H., 1993, “Environmental Acceleration of Fatigue Crack Growth in Reactor Pressure Vessel Materials,” TR-102796, Vols. 1 and 2, EPRI.
23.
Wire
G. L.
Li
Y. Y.
1996
, “Initiation of Environmentally Assisted Cracking in Low-Alloy Steels
,” Fatigue and Fracture—1996—Vol. I, ASME PVP
-Vol. 323
, pp. 269
–289
.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 1998
by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.
