Causes of cracks of chemical apparatus made of austenitic steel

Abstract

The subject of the research was the installation of a water steam used in the chemical industry. Penetration tests revealed an extensive network of cracks on the surface of steel and welds. Metallographic studies, chemical composition analysis, EDX anal-ysis were performed. Thermal treatment of steel was carried out and microhardness measurements were made. The results of the tests showed that stress corrosion was the main reason for the occurrence of cracks.