Phase-field modelling of stress corrosion

The evolution of surfaces exposed to an aggressive environment and mechanical load is studied. The evolution is the initial part of a stress corrosion process that leads to pitting, crack initiation and growing cracks. In conventional fracture analyses the growth rate of the crack may be computed using a modified Paris' law. However, a known or a postulated crack is required. A serious drawback is that a large part of the lifetime of a crack or a surface flaw is spent during the initiation of the crack. The knowledge of the mechanisms leading from a pit, flaw, scratch, etc. to a crack is very limited. One reason is the complication caused by the less definite defined original geometry. The motivation for the present study is to increase the understanding of the transition from stress induced pitting to growing cracks