Investigation of Stress Corrosion Cracking in Magnesium Alloys by Quantitative Fractography Methods

Abstract

The article shows that the use of quantitative fracture description may lead to significant progress in research on the phenomenon of stress corrosion cracking of the WE43 magnesium alloy. Tests were carried out on samples in air, and after hydrogenation in 0.1 M Na2SO4 with cathodic polarization. Fracture surfaces were analyzed after different variants of the Slow Strain Rate Test. It was demonstrated that the parameters for quantitative evaluation of fracture surface microcracks can be closely linked with the susceptibility of the WE43 magnesium alloy operating under complex state of the mechanical load in corrosive environments. The final result of the study was the determination of the quantitative relationship between Slow Strain Rate Test parameters, the mechanical properties, and the parameters of the quantitative evaluation of fracture surface (microcracks).