Failure Analysis of Heat Treated Martensitic Stainless Steel Components

Martensitic stainless steels offer high strength compared to other stainless alloys making them ideal for fastening applications in marginally corrosive environments. These alloys are quench and tempered to provide the required strength and ductility. However, tempering at an incorrect temperature can make these materials susceptible to stress corrosion cracking in environments containing chlorides. This talk will outline several failure analysis investigations, including structural bolts and chain links, where the cause of failure was determined to be due to errors in heat treatment.