A potentiokinetic reactivation method for predicting the I.C.C. and I.G.S.C.C. sensitivity of stainless steels and alloys

The present paper is a continuation of an earlier study dealing with a new method of electrochemical determination of the sensitivity to intercrystalline corrosion of stainless steel, based on reactivation from the passive state. This suggested test method was verified on austenitic chromenickel steels with increased carbon content and cold deformation. The ratio of charge during reactivation to that in the active region of the polarization curve (at increasing potential), expressed as a percentage, appears to give the optimum quantitative criterion of the tendency of steels to intercrystalline corrosion or intergranular stress corrosion cracking. The sensitivity of the method can be adjusted for the individual types of steels and alloys by changing the experimental conditions.