Caustic Stress Corrosion Cracking Analysis

1.

Chlorides at even low concentrations can cause stress corrosion cracking in austenitic stainless steel. The chloride content of commercially available caustic may be sufficient to account for all the cracking attributed to caustic in past testing. The chloride level in caustic stress corrosion cracking (CSCC) data was not reported in the articles found. The articles are most relevant to the range of conditions that may be present during reaction of reactive-metal wetted parts.
 

2.

Being an electrochemical process, CSCC may also require water to support electron transfer, which is not present in anhydrous caustic. This is reported in the literature, but CEI could not find any data to support or refute the premise.