“…The fracture surfaces of the as-cast sample that failed in air and in distilled water are shown in Figure 6a,b, respectively. Figure 6a reveals mixed mode with transgranular cleavage and dimpled features, as well as intergranular fracture, mainly initiated by preferential anodic dissolution of the matrix adjacent to β-Mg17Al12 [1], whereas the same sample tested in distilled water showed a predominantly transgranular feature with parallel facets, attributed to hydrogen-assisted embrittlement for the AZ series alloys [5,19,20]. The primary conclusion is that the as-cast AZ61 Mg alloy behaved fairly susceptible to SCC in distilled water.…”