STRESS CORROSION CRACKING IN BRASS ALLOYS.

摘要

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) refers to cracking of an alloy that occurs under the simultaneous action of corrosion and sustained tensile stress. Cracking can be either intergranular (as in the present case) or transgranular, depending on the alloy and/or the corrodent. The present investigation was conducted on a brass linkage which is made of α-β brasses and attached to the Float Rod part. The usual culprit in SCC of copper alloys is ammonia acting in tandem with stresses in the alloy from forming and/or service conditions. The failure analysis conducted to identify macroscopic and microscopic features on the fracture surface through Stereo-microscopy and SEM respectively, while contaminants/green residues were identified through EDAX system. The root cause of the failure was concluded as; the results of forming stress and ammonia in combination with moisture and oxygen.