Crack propagation resistance of Zeron 100 GTA and SMA weld metal in synthetic seawater under cathodic overpotential

It is envisaged that super duplex stainless steels, as currently used in the offshore oil and gas industries, will find application in the emergent renewable energy sector in areas such as offshore wind, wave and tidal electricity/hydrogen generation. Such applications typically involve engineering components experiencing fluctuating loads in a harsh environment such as seawater. The current paper investigates the crack propagation resistance of two Zeron 100 weld metals in synthetic seawater under cathodic overpotential. The crack propagation resistance of the weld metals was similar to the base metal under the imposed condition. However, crack propagation rates in synthetic seawater (base and weld metals) under cathodic overpotential increased by a factor of 4.3 over rates in air above a threshold stress intensity factor range.