Corrosion effects on fatigue crack propagation of stainless steel and its heat affected zone in pH buffer solutions

A corrosion fatigue crack propagation test for 430 stainless steel and its heat affected zone was conducted in pH buffer solutions, and the results were compared with model predictions. The bare corrosion effect on fatigue crack propagation, particularly in corrosive environments was evaluated by means of a modified Forman equation. As shown in the results, the average corrosion rate determined from the ratio of corrosion induced crack length to the entire crack length under a cycle load was 0.11 and 0.37 for the base metal and heat affected zone, respectively, with a load ratio of 0.5, frequency of 0.5, and a pH 10.0 environment. The modeling and experimental processes demonstrate a step towards a methodology enabling the corrosion effects on fatigue crack propagation behavior to be determined.