Characterization of the crack initiation and propagation in Alloy 600 with a cold-worked surface

The crack initiation on a cold-worked surface of Alloy 600, exposed to simulated pressurized water reactor primary water, was mechanistically studied through high-resolution characterization. Mechanical polishing introduced a thin recrystallization layer on the specimen surface, which lead to the crack initiation along highly-deformed recrystallization grain boundaries after preferential oxidation. Intergranular crack propagation occurred once...