Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Ni- and Cr-plated 304 stainless steel in H2SO4-NaCl solution

Abstract

Ni- and Cr-plated 304 stainless steel in H2SO4-NaCl solution was subjected to stress corrosion cracking tests to determine the effect of treatments by diffusion coating, plating and a combination of these methods on the SCC susceptibility in the solution. Results are discussed in terms of the extent of time to failures and the corrosion rate of the specimens. It is observed that the surface modification of 304 stainless steel for the inhibition of SCC in the solution depends largely on the improvement in the corrosion resistance and the composition of a stable austenitic phase.