The Role of Stresses in High-Temperature Corrosion: The Potential of Quantitative Approaches

The type and kinetics of high-temperature corrosion can significantly be affected by the presence of stresses in the oxide scale/material system. There have been numerous research activities dealing with the role of stresses in high-temperature corrosion, but the knowledge is widely scattered in a large number of individual publications, and a systematic evaluation and comprehensive revision of this knowledge seems to be of great benefit, not least under the aspect of its industrial exploitation for design and life-time assessment procedures. The latter is becoming of increasing interest also against the background of rising activities in material science and corrosion based on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. The paper addresses the origin of stresses and the reaction of the material system on these stresses under high-temperature corrosion conditions. As a key factor for high-temperature corrosion resistance, the integrity of the protective oxide scale, its endangering by stresses and the role of the scale healing capacity are addressed. Furthermore, the situation after the loss of the protective effect of the oxide scale is regarded. For a systematic treatment, the discussion occurs along the lines of the corrosion stress interaction diagram (CSID) and of the advanced oxide scale failure diagram (AOSFD).