Metallurgical failure mode of cracking under a prolonged static load
Sustained load cracking, or SLC, is a metallurgical phenomenon that occasionally develops in pressure vessels and structural components under stress for sustained periods of time.[1]
It is particularly noted in aluminium pressure vessels such as diving cylinders.[2][3]
Sustained load cracking is not a manufacturing defect; it is a phenomenon associated with certain alloys and service conditions:
- 6351 aluminum alloy[2]
- Overstressing due to excessive filling pressure[2]
- Abuse and mechanical damage[2]
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