Stress corrosion of nickel alloys: influence of metallurgical, chemical and physicochemical parameters

Stress corrosion of nickel alloys (alloys 600, X-750, 182, 82..)is the main problem of corrosion in PWR type reactors. This article gives the main knowledge about this question, considering particularly the influence of the mechanical, microstructural and physicochemical factors on cracks under stress of the alloy 600 in water at high temperature. The acquired knowledge allows nowadays to better anticipate and control the phenomenon. On the industrial point of view, they have allowed to improve the resistance of in service or future materials. While a lot of advances have been carried out in the understanding of the influence of parameters, several uncertainties still remain concerning the corrosion mechanism and the part of some factors. (O.M.)