Observation and Prediction of the Effects of Water Chemistry and Mechanics on Environmentally Assisted Cracking of Inconels 182 Weld Metal and 600

Experiments were performed on compact tension specimens to determine the interdendritic stress corrosion cracking behavior of Inconel† 182 weld metal in 288 C water. Crack growth rates were measured using a reversing DC potential drop technique as a function of post-weld heat treatment, oxygen concentration, water purity, and loading condition. This data and other available fracture mechanics data for Inconels 600 and 182 tested in ~288 C water containing dissolved oxygen (91 total points) were compared with a crack growth rate predictive model. Agreement was very good, with 70% of the predictions within a factor of 2 of the observations.