9 – Cracking in high performance superduplex stainless steel welds

Abstract This chapter addresses corrosion fatigue cracking in high performance superduplex stainless steel welds. Superduplex alloys are employed in critical applications such as in the offshore oil and gas industries, and weld joints are critical locations for structural integrity with most failures occurring in the vicinity of such joints. Sections 9.2–9.4 review the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of superduplex stainless steel welds. Sections 9.5–9.8 address the corrosion fatigue cracking of superduplex weld metal in both laboratory air and seawater with cathodic protection. Crack propagation resistance in seawater under high electrochemical potential is also examined in Section 9.7.