Stress corrosion cracking in the heat-affected zone of A508 steel welds under high-temperature water

Abstract The influence of heat input on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of A508 steel welds was investigated. Constant extension rate tensile tests were conducted on notched round-bar specimens in simulated reactor coolant conditions to assess SCC performance. In multi-pass welds, the use of a low heat input resulted in a better SCC resistance than that of a high heat input due to the existence of a more refined microstructure.