Slow strain rate testing

Slow strain rate testing (SSRT), also called constant extension rate tensile testing (CERT), is a popular test used by research scientists to study stress corrosion cracking. It involves a slow (compared to conventional tensile tests) dynamic strain applied at a constant extension rate in the environment of interest. These test results are compared to those for similar tests in a, known to be inert, environment. A 50-year history of the SSRT has recently been published by its creator. The test has also been standardized and two ASTM symposia devoted to it.