Effect of pH and hydrogen on the stress corrosion cracking behavior of duplex stainless steel in marine atmosphere environment

Electrochemical and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviors of 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) of different microstructures in the marine atmosphere environment with various pH values and hydrogen charging current densities were investigated by employing electrochemical measurements and the slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) method. Results indicated that the resistance of 2205 DSS to pitting corrosion deteriorated as the pH decreased, and the susceptibility to SCC improved in spite of the decrease in pH or the increase in hydrogen charging current density. As compared to the microstructure of the as-received specimen, microstructures of the normalized and especially the quenched samples were more vulnerable to SCC.