Fundamental distribution of stress corrosion crack depth on Type 316L stainless steels induced by creviced bent beam test

The creviced bent beam (CBB) test has been applied for many materials such as nickel base alloys and low carbon austenitic stainless steels. For sensitized austenitic stainless steels, fundamental distribution of crack depth induced by CBB tests was evaluated to establish SCC initiation model and lifetime prediction method. On the other hand, there are a few studies about distribution of crack depth on low carbon austenitic stainless steels. In this study, statistical analysis of crack depth was conducted in Type 316L stainless steels after CBB tests. The results are summarized as follows, (1) Distribution of grain boundary depth designated as distance from surface to triple point of grain boundary fit lognormal probability distribution and exponential probability distribution. (2) Distribution of crack depth approaches lognormal or exponential probability distribution with passage of test duration. Distribution of plastic strain on the specimen surface is not affect to type of crack depth distribution. (3) Inflection or bent point appears on the probability plot at depth of the median of grain boundary depth distribution. (4) Less than median of grain boundary depth, distribution of crack depth is identical to grain boundary depth distribution. More than median + standard deviation of grain boundary depth, crack depth distribution is described by the exponential distribution. (author)