Evaluation of shuttle solid rocket booster case materials. Corrosion and stress corrosion susceptibility of several high temperature materials

Candidate alloys for the Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) case were tested under simulated service conditions to define subcritical flaw growth behavior under both sustained and cyclic loading conditions. The materials evaluated were D6AC and 18 Ni maraging steel, both heat treated to a nominal yield strength of 1380 MN/sq m (200 ksi). The sustained load tests were conducted by exposing precracked, stressed specimens of both alloys to alternate immersion in synthetic sea water. It was found that the corrosion and stress corrosion resistance of the 18 Ni maraging steel were superior to that of the D6AC steel under these test conditions. It was also found that austenitizing temperature had little influence on the threshold stress intensity of the D6AC. The cyclic tests were conducted by subjecting precracked surface-flawed specimens of both alloys to repeated load/thermal/environmental profiles which were selected to simulate the SRB missions. It was found that linear removal operations that involve heating to 589 K (600 F) cause a decrease in cyclic life of D6AC steel relative to those tests conducted with no thermal cycling.