Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) has been observed in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of low carbon martensitic stainless steel. In this study, the authors assessed Cr-depleted zones at the grain boundaries by a STEM-EDX analysis and determined the morphology by deconvolution of the STEM-EDX results. Findings of the authors indicate that Cr-depleted zones of only a few nanometers in width are sufficient to cause IGSCC at the HAZ of low carbon martensitic stainless steel under certain circumstances.
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