Environmentally Assisted Cracking Testing

Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) is the cracking of a material due to interaction of a susceptible material under tensile stress (applied or residual) in a particular environment, often resulting in brittle fracture of an otherwise ductile material. Environmentally Assisted Cracking can occur under static or dynamic mechanical loading.

Capability – At TTL, we have specialized fixtures for stress corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion fatigue testing. Stress corrosion tests can be conducted under constant strain, constant load or slow strain rate conditions in a variety of environments.

Some relevant standards:

• ASTM G36 – Standard Practice for Evaluating Stress-Corrosion-Cracking Resistance of Metals and Alloys in a Boiling Magnesium Chloride Solution
• ASTM G37 – Use of Mattsson’s Solution to Evaluate SCC Susceptibility of Copper Zinc Alloys
• ASTM G47 – Standard Test Method for Determining Susceptibility to Stress-Corrosion Cracking of 2XXX and 7XXX Aluminum Alloy Products
• ASTM G103 – Standard Practice for Evaluating Stress-Corrosion Cracking Resistance of Low Copper 7XXX Series Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys in Boiling 6% Sodium Chloride Solution
• ASTM G123 – Standard Test Method for Evaluating Stress-Corrosion Cracking of Stainless Alloys with Different Nickel Content in Boiling Acidified Sodium Chloride Solution