Steric hindrance as a rate controlling step in stress corrosion cracking

The effect of steric hindrance in the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Ag-15Pd (a/o) in AgI forming solutions was studied at room temperature. The solutions used were 1 M KI at a potential higher than that of AgI formation, and iodine dissolved in different n-alcohols. It was found that Ag-15Pd (a/o) is susceptible to intergranular stress corrosion cracking in those solutions. The SCC susceptibility measured as percentage of elongation to rupture and crack propagation rate is related to the size of the active species. While in KI aqueous solutions, as well as in iodine saturated benzene or iodine saturated toluene, the rate controlling step (RCS) was the reaction at the tip of the crack, in alcoholic-iodine solutions, the diffusion rate of the iodine containing molecules became the RCS.