ENVIRONMENTAL-

ASSISTED CRACKING
When a metal is subjected to a tensile stress and a
corrosive medium, it may experience Environment
Assisted Cracking
Four types:
✤Stress Corrosion Cracking
✤Hydrogen Embrittlement
✤Liquid Metal Embrittlement

* Corrosion Fatigue
1*Stress Corrosion Cracking
Crack-Initiation Mechanisms

,1* the initiation of a crack is difficult to measure experimentally, even though it is not difficult
to detect the location from which a growing crack has emanated.
2*,the fracture-mechanics concept of design assumes preexisting flaws in materials, although
these may not be surface flaws that can become stress-corrosion cracks. It has been
demonstrated that the corrosion-fatigue threshold of 12% Cr and 2.0% NiCrMoV steels could be
related to the minimum depth of surface pits
3*. Using a linear-elastic fracture-mechanics approach and relating a pit to a half-elliptical
surface crack, one researcher has shown that the critical pit dimension could be expressed by
the following relationship (Ref 21): V J where AATu, is the corrosion fatigue threshold, F is a
constant, and Aoo is the alternating surface stress.

3* A pit could be represented by a half-elliptical surface crack because it had intergranular

corrosion at the base that caused the pit to have cracklike characteristics.

How do you know if stress corrosion are

cracking
Two techniques are shown for1* detecting and locating stress corrosion
cracks (SCCs). Surface maps clearly identify SCC,
2* resolving spatial extent and geometric alignment.

Laser detection approach resolves defects that are close together or close to edges.

 How do you stop stress corrosion from
cracking
Stress corrosion cracking can be prevented through:
1. Avoid the chemical species that causes SCC.
2. Control of hardness and stress level (residual or load).
3. Introduce compressive stress by shot-peening for example.
4. Use of materials known not to crack in the specified environment.

Examples:
1) Stainless steels in hot chloride
2) Ti alloys in nitrogen tetroxide

2**** Hydrogen Embrittlement

process by which metals such as steel become brittle and fracture due to the
introduction and subsequent diffusion of hydrogen into the metal.

WHAT CAUSES HYDROGEN

EMBRITTLEMENT
Hydrogen Embrittlement occurs when metals become brittle as a result of the
introduction and diffusion of hydrogen into the material. The degree of embrittlement is
influenced both by the amount of hydrogen absorbed and the microstructure of the
material.

AT WHAT TEMPERTURE DOES

HYDOGEN EMBRITTEMENT
OCCUR
approximately 150°C.
The severity of hydrogen embrittlement is a function of temperature: most
metals are relatively immune to hydrogen embrittlement, above approximately
150°C. Hydrogen is normally only able to enter metals in the form of atoms
or hydrogen ions.

Mechanisms
 hydrogen is introduced to the surface of a metal and individual hydrogen atoms [citation
needed]
 diffuse through the metal structure. Because the solubility of hydrogen increases at
higher temperatures, raising the temperature can increase the diffusion of hydrogen. When
assisted by a concentration gradient where there is significantly more hydrogen outside the
metal than inside, hydrogen diffusion can occur even at lower temperatures.
There are a variety of mechanisms that have been proposed: [2]
Internal pressure:
Adsorbed hydrogen species recombine to form hydrogen molecules, creating pressure from
within the metal. This pressure can increase to levels where the metal has reduced ductility,
toughness, and tensile strength, up to the point where it cracks open (hydrogen-induced
cracking, or HIC).[4]
Metal hydride formation:
The formation of brittle hydrides with the parent material allows cracks to propagate in a
brittle fashion.
Phase transformations:
Phase transformations occur for some materials when hydrogen is present.
Hydrogen enhanced decohesion:
Hydrogen enhanced decohesion (HEDE) where the strength of the atomic bonds of the
parent material are reduced.

HOW PREVENT HYDROGEN

EMBRITTEMENT
Hydrogen embrittlement of electroplated components can be prevented by baking
them at 375 to 430 °F (190 to 220°C) within a few hours after the electroplating process.
During baking, the hydrogen diffuses out of the metal.

3* Liquid Metal Embrittlement **

 is a phenomenon of practical importance, where certain ductile metals experience drastic
loss in tensile ductility or undergo brittle fracture when exposed to specific liquid metals.
Generally, a tensile stress, either externally applied or internally present, is needed to induce
embrittlement

Mechanisms
 The brittle fracture theory of Stoloff and Johnson,[14] Westwood and
Kamdar [15] proposed that the adsorption of the liquid metal atoms at the crack tip
weakens inter-atomic bonds and propagates the crack.
 Gordon [16] postulated a model based on diffusion-penetration of liquid metal atoms to
nucleate cracks which under stress grow to cause failure.

EXAMPLES
* Liquid Metal Embrittlement ZINC
* Liquid Metal Embrittlement STEEL
* Liquid Metal Embrittlement CARBON STEEL