Previous work by the present authors has described the influence of a range of variables on
atmospheric chloride-induced stress corrosion initiation behavior of Type 304 stainless steels
using polished C-rings1. This paper extends the previous studies in order to establish the
effect of surface condition on the initiation of SCC. Three machining conditions were utilized
in this study, each using different machining combinations in terms of material removal,
either by lathe turning or turning followed by grinding. These conditions all produced
significantly greater crack initiation than was seen under the same conditions on polished
specimens, although the ground surface condition had less effect than the other two. The
results highlight the importance of surface condition in the initiation and prevention of SCC in
plant.