In situ observations of oxide fracture on austenitic stainless steels relevant to IASCC

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) and Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) are important failure modes in the nuclear industry, yet the exact mechanism(s) responsible for these complex failure phenomena are not fully understood. In particular, considerable attention is being focused on SCC and IASCC initiation and the behaviour of the oxidised metal surface during straining in a relevant environment. Experimental observations and data for oxide fracture at the grain boundary are limited, but are also required for the development of crack growth models. In this work, the role of strain localization on surface oxide fracture has been examined via: 1) in situ straining experiments using a state-of-the-art imaging autoclave; and 2) ex situ studies using pre-oxidised samples in a FEG-SEM with a micro-tensile stage. The work was conducted using three materials: 1) a non-irradiated archive Type 316 Stainless Steel, 2) a 1 dpa proton-irradiated Type 316 Stainless Steel, and 3) a model alloy designed to simulate the grain boundary composition resulting from radiation induced segregation. The observations were performed on samples pre-oxidized at 320 C. degrees in high purity, water containing 30 cm³ /kg of dissolved H₂ and 2 ppm Li additions. The samples were strained in tension and the surface deformation measured via Digital Image Correlation. This technique provided quantitative data regarding the intergranular strains associated with oxide fracture. Oxide fracture and strain development were also related to the local irradiation-induced microstructure and grain boundary character. The results from this work contribute to the mechanistic information on the role of strain localization and composition on the incubation stages of IASCC. (authors)