What are the reasons for the cracking of stainless steel pipes? Relevant personnel have conducted inspections on the cracked pipes and simultaneously analyzed the water quality of the pipes.

Result: The crack is a stress corrosion crack; the excessive content of chloride ions and total hardness in the water quality within the steel pipe when used in an environment of 60-120°C is the cause of stress corrosion fracturing at the stress points of the stainless steel pipe.

Metal cracking should be attributed to the effects of environmental corrosion.

Two conditions must be present for cracking to occur. They are stress and the presence of a corrosive medium.

Stress corrosion is one of the significant failure forms in stainless steel, with typical stress corrosion cracks appearing tree-like. The study of stress corrosion behavior of stainless steel under different corrosive mediums is a crucial aspect of stainless steel corrosion research. This article, with practical examples, illustrates the process of stress corrosion cracking in stainless steel and its impact on equipment, analyzes the causes, and identifies reasonable methods to prevent stress corrosion cracking.