Abstract
The polarisation characteristics for a deformed smooth surface of a 0·2% carbon steel in an artificial sea water have been determined under static and cyclic loading conditions. The influence of strain level and loading frequency on anodic and cathodic Tafel constants, corrosion current density, and corrosion potential is described. Based on these data, the conditions for corrosion fatigue testing which corresponded to a maximum synergism between surface deformation and anodic dissolution were determined. Corrosion fatigue tests, which were conducted under both constant potential and constant current density conditions have shown that a process of metal dissolution plays a determining role in the short corrosion fatigue crack growth behaviour. An experimentally based criterion is proposed involving the development of a short corrosion fatigue crack, of characteristic size, which is associated with the spacing between the major microstructural barriers. This criterion is a function of both shear stress and the parameters controlling the anodic dissolution process on a cyclically deformed smooth suiface. An expression predicting the formation of short corrosion fatigue cracks is presented which takes into account the synergistic action of shear stress and the corrosion process.
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