Effect of hydrogen on stress corrosion cracking of copper

The effects of hydrogen on electrochemical behavior and susceptibility of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of pure copper were studied. SCC susceptibility of pure copper in a 1 M NaNO₂ solution was increased by pre-charged hydrogen. The effect of hydrogen on the susceptibility is more obvious in the low stress region due to the longer fracture time, which resulted in a longer time for more hydrogen to diffuse toward the crack tip. Synergistic effects of hydrogen and stress on corrosion and SCC processes were discussed. The results showed that an interaction between stress and hydrogen at the crack tip could increase the anodic dissolution rate remarkably.