Effect of temperature on transgranular and intergranular stress corrosion crack velocity of Ag–Au alloys

Abstract The effect of temperature on both the transgranular and the intergranular stress corrosion crack velocity of silver–gold alloys in a 1 M KCl solution was studied for temperatures ranging from 25 to 80 °C by means of slow strain rate experiments. At a constant potential and a constant elongation rate, the crack propagation rate was higher the higher the temperature. Transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC) velocity was found to change with the temperature, as well as with the potential, in the same way as intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) velocity. In the region of potentials where the crack velocity was not controlled by ion diffusion in the crack, it was concluded that TGSCC and IGSCC for Ag–Au alloys in KCl solutions were controlled by the same stress corrosion cracking mechanism.