Effect of deformation level and orientation on SCC of 316L stainless steel in simulated light water environments

Abstract The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of 316L stainless steel (SS) forged to 0%, 12.6%, 21.4%, and 39.8% reduction in thickness was investigated at constant K in light water reactor environments. The yield strength, specimen orientation, and water chemistry were correlated with crack growth rate, and their dependencies are discussed. The crack growth rate (CGR) of 316L SS increased monotonously with yield strength irrespective of the specimen orientation or water chemistry. Higher CGRs were observed when cracks propagate along the plane parallel to forging plane than normal to forging plane. The effect of local deformation on the anisotropic cracking behavior for different orientations, crack paths and CGRs are also discussed.