Modeling Stress Corrosion Cracking Growth Rates Based Upon the Effect of Stress/Strain on Crack Tip Interface Degradation and Oxidation Reaction Kinetics

Quantitative prediction of environmentally assisted cracking such as stress corrosion cracking is one of the greatest concerns in lifetime management and consequent lifetime extension of light water reactors. Continuum mechanics has been applied to quantify the effect of crack tip mechanics on crack tip film degradation and its physical interaction with the oxidation kinetics. Besides such an effect, it has been realized that crack tip stress/strain can significantly affect the oxidation kinetics by a physical-chemical mode. The present paper focuses on optimizing crack tip asymptotic fields, oxidation kinetics laws, and their interaction modes for modeling stress corrosion cracking growth rates. Meanwhile, the physical-chemical effect of stress/strain on solid state oxidation kinetics at the stress corrosion crack tip is emphasized. The criteria for formulating stress corrosion cracking and optimizing input parameters are also discussed.