To ensure economic and reliable materials selection it is necessary to evaluate corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs) under the most severe environmental and mechanical conditions that are realistically anticipated in service. This requires identification and control of the parameters that are needed to characterise an environment in terms of its impact on environmentally assisted cracking (EAC).
The primary factors that need to be defined and controlled when assessing EAC in sour environments are: H2S level, pH, chloride level, temperature range and loading condition. Conventional EAC techniques used in the evaluation of CRAs have well known limitations. The rippled strain rate test (RSRT) represents an intennediate test method between constant load/strain and slow strain rate testing which accelerates the initiation of cracking without subjecting the material to gross plastic deformation.