The stress corrosion crack growth rates of iron and nickel- base austenitic alloys were
determined in water in both the subcritical and supercritical regimes using constant extension
rate tests and a constant stress intensity factor (K) crack growth rate test. Experiments were
performed in the temperature range of 288°C to 550°C, in pure deaerated water and the crack
propagation rates obtained with different techniques are compared. The crack propagation rate
increased with temperature for all alloys tested in constant extension rate tests. The crack
growth rate of cold work Type 316L (UNS S31603) determined under constant K loading mode
decreased as temperature increased above 360°C. The crack growth rate behavior is
hypothesized to be due to crack blunting due to a high oxidation rate. In CERT tests, increases
in cracking are dominated by temperature rather than water density. The validity of the use of
constant extension rate tests to determine crack propagation rate is discussed.