Surface residual stress effects on stress corrosion cracking/hydrogen embrittlement behavior of AISI 4340 steel

A series of experiments was performed in an attempt to measure the effects of surface residual stresses on the stress corrosion cracking/hydrogen embrittlement (SCC/HE) behavior of AISI 4340 steel. Stress corrosion tests were performed under load control on cylindrical and notched tensile specimens in acidified 3.5% NaCl solution. The electrochemical potential of the specimens was maintained at -0.7 V versus a saturated calomel reference electrode. Time to failure for specimens tested at various applied and residual stress levels was measured. Stress relieved specimens as well as specimens containing mechanically induced residual stresses were tested. Residual stresses were estimated using Neuber's rule and were measured using an x-ray diffraction technique. In all cases, the sum of the applied and residual stresses was greater than zero.

Test results showed the initiation of SCC/HE cracks to be insensitive to the effects of surface residual stresses under the conditions evaluated. This is probably a result of the total time to failure criterion used to evaluate the SCC/HE tests. The extremely aggressive environment used in these experiments apparently led to rapid crack initiation, even in specimens containing compressive residual stresses. Another possible explanation of the insensitivity of this series of tests is crack initiation in the interior of the specimens below the depth of the mechanically induced residual stresses.