Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) is characterized by:

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) is a critical issue in materials engineering, particularly concerning metals. The phenomenon is characterized by the combination of tensile stress and a corrosive environment leading to the initiation and growth of cracks. The correct characterization of SCC is aligned with the sudden failure that occurs after the rapid propagation of cracks.

This option highlights that SCC may not show signs of distress until a significant amount of crack propagation has occurred, typically leading to a sudden and catastrophic failure. In practical terms, SCC can remain undetectable until it reaches a critical size, at which point the material can fail unexpectedly, often without prior warning. This is particularly dangerous in structural applications where reliability is essential.

The other options do not adequately capture the nature of SCC. For instance, a quick failure or immediate failure concepts usually suggest that the cracks form and propagate under immediate conditions or load levels without the involvement of a corrosive environment, which is not typical of SCC. Moreover, rapid growth of fatigue cracks implies a different mechanism, primarily influenced by cyclic loading rather than the combined effects of tensile stress and corrosive conditions seen in SCC.

Therefore, the critical distinction lies in the combination of stress and corrosion over time that leads to the unexpected abrupt failures associated with Stress Cor