Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of thermally-aged Type 310S stainless steels in supercritical water

The effect of thermal ageing on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of Type 310S stainless steel in supercritical water (coolant for a supercritical water cooled reactor design concept) was evaluated. SCC was evaluated using the slow strain rate testing technique, straining samples to 10% in a flowing autoclave test facility using 25 MPa SCW at 500 °C with 20 ppm dissolved oxygen. The localized deformation model for SCC initiation and a void-assisted film-cleavage model for SCC propagation can be used to explain the SCC susceptibility exhibited by the thermally-aged Type 310S stainless steel in supercritical water.