Film Repture Mechanism of Corrosion
Film Repture Mechanism of Corrosion
Film Repture Mechanism of Corrosion
1. Introduction
Stress-corrosion cracking has been defined as the
"spontaneous failure of metal by cracking under the
combined action of corrosion and stress, residual or
applied" [l]. 1 Service failures have frequently resulted from residual stresses set up in the material or
structure during fabrication. These stresses may
result from the spinning or deep drawing of sheet
brass, the work-hardening of aluminum-alloy tubing,
the pressing of oversized bushings into aluminumalloy fittings, the riveting or welding of steel structures, or even as the result of the application of
excessive torques-in the assembling of brass-pipe
structures [2]. Stress-corrosion cracking may be
either intercrystalline, as in aluminum alloys, alpha
brass, and low-alloy steels, or transcrystalline, as is
usually the case in magnesium-base alloys and the
austenitic stainless steels.
I t is agreed by most workers in the field that some
degree of stress-corrosion cracking can be produced
in many alloys and commercially pure metals by the
proper combinations of stresses and corrosive media.
The A S T M - A I M M E Symposium on Stress-Corrosion Cracking of Metals [3], published in 1944, gives
an excellent summary of work in the field to that
date. A number of papers have also appeared in
recent years [4 to 8, 10] that contain excellent
bibliographies. For the most part, the data in the
literature are from investigations of the relative
susceptibilities of various materials to stress-corrosion cracking, susceptibilities of particular materials to stress corrosion in specific corrosive media, or
susceptibilities of particular materials to stress
corrosion after various mechanical or thermal
treatments.
The purpose of this investigation was to study the
mechanism of stress corrosion and not to determine
the relative susceptibilities of various materials to
stress corrosion. Recently the various theories of
the mechanism of stress corrosion were summarized
by Harwood [10]. Of these theories the "Generalized theory of stress corrosion" proposed by Mears,
Brown, and Dix [11], the "Mechanical theory" of
1
Figures in brackets indicate the literature references at the end of this paper.
some minutes before measurements were made [13]. cartridge brass, 61-percent-Cu-36-percent-Zn-3-perSimilar results were recently obtained at the Bureau cent-Pb leaded brass, AZ31f magnesium alloy, lowon 18-percent-Cr-8-percent-Ni austenitic stainless carbon steel, and type 302 stainless steel. The
steels. Mears and Brown [14] report a solution po- chemical compositions are given in table 1. The
tential greater than 3.0 v for commercially pure aluminum alloy, the leaded brass, and the steels
aluminum from which the film was removed by were obtained commercially. The magnesium alloy
scratching the surface with a glass stylus in the was supplied by the Dow Chemical Co., and the
electrolyte. Druet and Jacquet [15] report values cartridge brass was made in the Bureau's Experiof 0.75 v for mechanically polished specimens con- mental Foundry from electrolytic copper and 99.99taining 99.99 percent of aluminum (presumably with percent zinc. Prior to machining of the specimens,
a protective film intact) and 1.384 v for the same the materials were heat treated as follows: (a) The
material with measurements made immediately after aluminum-alloy stock was solution heat-treated a t
electrolytic polishing.
920 1 0 F , and quenched in water at approxiThe author is not aware of any data giving the mately 70 F , (b) the cartridge brass was rolled to a
magnitude of changes in solution potential produced diameter of about 0.62 in. and then annealed for 1
b y rupture of protective films on the metals or alloys hour at 1,560 F , after which the Brinell hardness
that are particularly susceptible to stress corrosion. number was 66 and the grain size approximately
Such data are necessary to establish the validity of 0.025 mm, (c) the low-carbon steel, originally in the
the so-called film rupture process in the generalized cold-rolled condition, was heated to 1,625 F and
theory of stress corrosion. I n the early phases of cooled with the furnace, (d) the stainless steel was
the investigation of the mechanism of stress corrosion, heated to 1,950 F and quenched in cold water. The
the following have been determined and are reported magnesium alloy, in the form of an extruded rod
in this paper: (a) the electrochemical solution poten- K in. in diameter, and the leaded-brass rod, % in.
tials of several alloys free from the protective effects in diameter, were used as received. The magnesium
of films,2 and (b) relationships between the applied alloy evidently had been extruded at a sufficiently
stresses and the electrochemical solution potentials high temperature that the metal had recrystallized
of these alloys.
following extrusion. The leaded brass had a Brinell
hardness number of 113 and a grain size of 0.015 to
0.025 mm. The tensile properties, as determined on
2. Materials and Methods of Test
subsize (0.355-in. diameter) ASTM round tensile
The materials used in this investigation were 24 S- specimens, are given in table 2.
When the protective film on 24S-T4 aluminum
T4 aluminum alloy, 70-percent-Cu-30-percent-Zn
alloy is broken in air, it tends to repair itself quite
2
It is recognized that contact of an electrolyte, at least with the aluminum and
rapidly. Therefore, specimens were prepared by
magnesium alloys studied, may produce a protective film on the metal surfaces.
TABLE 1.
Material
24S aluminum alloy a
Cartridge brass
Leaded brass...
AZ31 magnesium alloy a
Low-carbon steel
Type 302 stainless steel c
* Determined spectroscopically.
TABLE 2.
Al
Cr
2.9
0.17
.072
3.9
69.4
61.2
0.01
Fe
Pb
0.4
19.17
Mg
Ni
0.6
.4
.81
.38
1.4
8.63
0.005
.017
Si
0.1
.03
.019
.297
0.024
.013
Zn
%
t>30.6
b35.8
1.0
Material
3.0
.003
Mn
Ultimate
tensile
strength
Yield
strength
Elongation
in 1.4 in.
Percent
24
54
28
11
40
77
100
3. Results a n d Discussion
3.1. Electrochemical Solution Potentials of the Metals
The different electrolytes used and the electrochemical solution potentials of the various materials,
determined in air and in argon, are given in table 3.
All values are in terms of a calomel electrode of the
saturated KC1 type and were determined at approximately 25 C. The values reported for atmospherically formed filmed surfaces were equilibrium values
obtained by immersion of the prepared surfaces in
their specific electrolytes; the values reported for the
specimens prepared in argon were instantaneous
maxima and not necessarily equilibrium values.
These values are given inasmuch as they represent
the conditions under which changes in electrochemical solution potential values reported in a
later section of this paper were obtained.
T A B L E 3. Electrochemical
solution potentials (with respect to
calomel electrode of saturated KCl type) of materials ijoith
surfaces prepared and measurements
made in air or argon
Material
L
L-n
p a n "_* 00 001 0
"0-280
Electrolyte
Electrochemical
solution
potentials in
Air
F I G U R E 1.
Details of notched
Argon
specimens.
24S-T4 aluminum alloy
70%-Cu-30%-Zn brass
61%-Cu-36%-Zn-3%-Pb
brass
AZ31 magnesium alloy
Type 302 stainless steel
5% NH4OH+
5% (NH 4 ) 2 C0 3
do....
Volt
Volt
-0.67 -1.43
- . 4 7 -0.96
-.39
-.98
101
Electrochemical
100 I
90
and
s
Argon
80% argon+20%
80% argon+20%
80% argon+20%
80% argon+20%
Air
.
dry
wet
wet
dry
Electrochemical
solution
potential
Atmosphere
.030
.040
~I
.050
.060
.070
1 /
\
80 I
60
50
y^
/ A V RANGE
^^^
/^"^
\\ 1
70
Volt
-0.96
- . 4 5 to - . 5 0
-.45 to-.50
- . 7 2 to - . 7 8
- . 5 3 to - . 6 1
-.47
02-.
0 2 -_.
C0 2 NH 3 .
"
solution potentials of 7 0 % - C u - 3 0 % -
.020
rr //
\\
\\
W
i
i
L
f1
/
//
40
100
-i
\
\
A
J
J
A
~\
200
300
., 1 ... ,.. _i
400
500
,.
600
700
AV* V i - V o , Millivolts
F I G U R E 3.
True stress-electrochemical
aluminum
solution
alloy
potential
rela-
specimens.
.100
Maximum
change in electrochemical
tial with stress.
Material
solution
poten-
Electrolyte
Change in
electrochemical solution
potential
Saturated KC1
5% NEUOH+5% (NH 4 ) 2 C0 3
do
VoU
0.610
.700
.510
.240
.160
.315
300
4 0 0 500
AV=Vi-Vo, Millivolts
F I G U R E 4.
True stress-electrochemical
800
solution
potential
900
rela-
102
TRUE
.050
I
STRAIN, L 0 G e A 0 /A
.100
.150
100
150
AV = V i - V o , Millivolts
F I G U R E 6.
True stress-electrochemical
90 Y
AV RANGE ^
70
\
g60
o
$50
UJ
QL
y-
</)
u 40
/ /
\ 1
A
30
20
10
1
F I G U R E 5.
1
1
1
1
100
200
A V = V i - V o , Millivolts
True stress-electrochemical
1
300
solution
-L
1
400
potential
solution
alloy
potential
rela-
rela-
specimens.
.80
1
^ ^ ^~~
80
.200
.800
225
80
120
160
200
A V = V i - V o , Millivolts
280
320
rela-
.400
110
100
90
8 eo
o
70
60
50
40
F I G U R E 7.
50
100
A V = V i - Vo, Millivolts
200
150
potential
rela-
104
4. Summary
5. References
105