Dislocation-hydrogen interactions during stress corrosion cracking in fcc metals: experiments on single crystals and numerical simulations

This paper investigates the elementary mechanisms governing the process of stress corrosion cracking. Slow strain rate experiments are conducted on copper and austenitic stainless steel single crystals. The orientation of the tensile axis and the crack propagation direction are shown to have a strong effect on the crystallography of fracture surfaces. A model is proposed which emphasizes the co-operative effects of corrosion and plasticity. A numerical simulation of the hydrogen/dislocation interactions at a stress corrosion crack tip is carried out in order to assess key points of this model. Recent results and future developments are discussed.