Stainless steels are not indestructible materials, nor immune to all corrosive attack. However, stainless steels are excellent combatants of corrosion.
With the correct selection of alloys, application of good design principles and proper fabrication practices, the few problems associated with corrosion in stainless steel can be overcome.
Due consideration must be given to all conditions of service, including the less obvious ones, such as plant downtimes, cleaning practices and hydrostatic testing.
The more common forms of corrosion which affect all metals and alloys, including stainless steel, are listed below:
- Pitting corrosion
- Crevice/shielded corrosion
- Intergranular corrosion
- Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC)
- Erosion/abrasion corrosion
- General corrosion
- Galvanic corrosion
- Stress corrosion cracking (SCC)
