NDT electrochemical test of austenitic stainless steels

Stress corrosion cracking of stainless steels requires three simultaneous contributing factors: a tensile stress, a suitable environment and a sensitized microstructure of the steel. The term sensitization refers to an increased susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. Electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) tests are suitable non-destructive, time-saving test methods for predicting the degree of sensitization (DOS) of Fe-Cr-Ni alloys. Electrochemical reactivation tests use differences in anodic characteristics of materials to detect susceptibility to intergranular attack. The test procedures can be modified in a number of ways and various parameters can be used as test results. Reactivation tests have proven useful for comparing different conditions of the same material, and by modifying the test procedures they can be used for testing a great variety of Fe-Cr-Ni alloys