Stress Corrosion Susceptibility of High-strength Titanium Alloys in Coupled High-pressure and Low-oxygen Environments

WANG Kai; ZHANG Huixia; DU Zhaoxin; LIU Feng; ZHANG Haibing; MA Li

doi:10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2026.10.013

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Equipment Environmental Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (10) : 113-122. DOI: 10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2026.10.013

Ships and Marine Engineering Equipment

Stress Corrosion Susceptibility of High-strength Titanium Alloys in Coupled High-pressure and Low-oxygen Environments

WANG Kai^1,2, ZHANG Huixia^2,*, DU Zhaoxin¹, LIU Feng², ZHANG Haibing², MA Li²

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Abstract

The work aims to investigate the effects of the coupled high-pressure and low-oxygen environment on the stress corrosion sensitivity of high-strength titanium alloys. Potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Mott-Schottky analysis and slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests were employed. By simulating a deep-sea environment, the electrochemical behavior and mechanical properties of TC4 titanium alloys in seawater with varying dissolved oxygen concentrations (1, 3 and 5 mg/L) were evaluated under a hydrostatic pressure of 15 MPa and compared with those in seawater at ambient pressure (0.1 MPa). The high-pressure and low-oxygen environment significantly deteriorated the corrosion resistance of the titanium alloy. As the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased, the self-corrosion potential shifted negatively, the resistance of the passive film decreased, and the donor density (N_D) within the film increased significantly, indicating an increase in passive film defects and a decline in its protective capability. Mechanical testing revealed that the plasticity loss of the high-strength titanium alloy was most severe under the 15 MPa and 1 mg/L low-oxygen conditions, with the elongation after fracture and the reduction of area reaching their minimum values. Fractographic analysis demonstrated that the material underwent ductile fracture under all conditions. However, in the high-pressure and low-oxygen environment, the dimples became shallower and flatter, indicating a significantly reduced plastic deformation capacity. Ultimately, the high-pressure and low-oxygen environment synergistically exacerbates the stress corrosion sensitivity of the titanium alloy by promoting the hydrogen evolution reaction and facilitating the formation of a more defective passive film.

Key words

titanium alloy / hydrostatic pressure / dissolved oxygen / stress corrosion / passive film / ductile fracture

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WANG Kai, ZHANG Huixia, DU Zhaoxin, LIU Feng, ZHANG Haibing, MA Li. Stress Corrosion Susceptibility of High-strength Titanium Alloys in Coupled High-pressure and Low-oxygen Environments[J]. Equipment Environmental Engineering. 2026, 23(10): 113-122 https://doi.org/10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2026.10.013

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