Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) occurs as a result of the local grain boundary chromium depletion that can occur through diffusion processes caused by thermal history or fast neutron irradiation. Reliable models of crack nucleation and growth, and their sensitivity to microstructure, are required to underpin lifetime prediction and the development of more resistant materials. A model for 3D IGSCC crack growth has been developed, using finite element analysis, which can reproduce the interactions between the microstructure, the mechanical driving force for cracking, and the kinetics of crack growth. In the work reported here, the model is used to investigate the interaction between adjacent initiating cracks, and to predict the short crack behaviour to random variations in microstructure. Comparison between real experimental data and modelling is presented as well.
