Stress corrosion cracking of 316 L stainless steel in simulated Arabian gulf seawater

Abstract

Abstract Austenitic stainless steels are widely used in coastal and marine infrastructure for its corrosion resistance, yet failures associated with chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) continue to be reported. In this work, the SCC susceptibility of 316L austenitic stainless steel was investigated using test solutions designed to simulate Arabian gulf seawater and compared with a reference standard brine. Slow strain rate testing (SSRT) was conducted across a range of temperatures to evaluate the combined influence of temperature and local environmental chemistry on cracking behaviour. Coastal water sampling revealed unusually high salinity along the shoreline, attributed to local geography conditions and intensive desalination activity, which contributed to reduced pitting and repassivation potentials, indicating a diminished capacity of the passive film to recover after rupture. This resulted into a measurable difference in cracking behaviour above 60 $$^\circ $$ C. These findings highlight the importance of qualifying 316L stainless steel in site-specific representative environments rather than relying on generic standard test conditions alone.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientific Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗