What is Caustic Cracking?
Caustic cracking (caustic embrittlement) is a serious type of boiler metal failure characterized by continous, mostly intergranular cracks. The following conditions appear to be necessary for this type of cracking to occure : • The metal mus be stressed, • the boiler-water must contain caustic, • at least a trace of silica must be present in the boiler-water, and • some mechanisms, such as a slight leak, must be present to allow the boiler water to concentrate on the stressed metal.
