Effect of dissolved oxygen on the SCC susceptibility and oxidation of cold-worked 316L SS in PWR primary water
Résumé
Slow strain rate tensile tests (SSRT) and oxidation tests were performed on a 316L stainless steel in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) primary water. The tests were performed under transient conditions (hydrogenated-oxygenated water cycling). The present results indicate stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility dependence of SSRT samples on cumulated time exposure to hydrogenated water. After short-time exposure under hydrogenated conditions, most of the crack-like defects are shorter than 2 µm and crack mean depth is around 5 µm. In contrast, after long-time exposure, most SCC crack-like defects are longer than 2 µm and the crack mean depth increases linearly with the cumulated time spent under hydrogenated conditions.