Notes on the discussion concerning the “surface mobility mechanism” of stress corrosion cracking

Abstract A detailed analysis of the so-called “surface mobility mechanism” (SMM) of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is given. This SMM based on “abnormally high” surface diffusivity influenced by stress in the crack tip was proposed by J.R. Galvele in 1987 and later criticized by K. Sieradzki and F.J. Friedersdorf in 1994. However, the SMM author continues to promote his concept in recent papers, which was an incentive of the present analysis. It is demonstrated that SMM contains inner contradictions and mutually excluding statements. In conclusion, it is shown that tests undertaken by the author of SMM cannot be accepted as experimental evidences of the SMM.