Corrosion fatigue behavior and damage mechanism of Hadfield steel

This study investigated the corrosion fatigue (CF) behavior and damage mechanism of Hadfield steel in acidic NaHSO₃ and neutral NaCl solutions. It manifested high CF susceptibility, and CF life varied considerably across different environments due to different corrosion behaviors and cracking mechanisms. In NaHSO₃ solution, cracks predominantly nucleated at grain boundaries due to enhanced local anodic dissolution and hydrogen embrittlement, followed by intergranular or transgranular cracks depending on the distribution of hydrogen. In NaCl solution, crack initiation was associated with peak stress. Cracks could nucleate at surface slip bands or corrosion pits and their growth may be influenced by deformation twinning and grain boundaries.