Stainless steels galvanic corrosion

Stainless steel use has increased over the years. Most of the exhaust system uses stainless steel or aluminized stainless steel for corrosion resistance. Fuel systems are made of galvanized or stainless steel. Comparison of a car made in 1978 to one made in 1996 shows the reduction in the use of regular steel and iron from 68% to 55.5%, respectively. The use of high-strength steel, stainless steel, plastics, aluminum, and copper in cars has dramatically increased in the period 1978-1996. These materials have replaced mild steel for greater strength, weight reduction, and corrosion resistance. 

Under many other conditions these are mueh higher. The group named weld corrosion in the tabic is often a kind of galvanic corrosion. On stainless steel, weld corrosion may in many cases mean crevice corrosion in or at the weld. 

Vanadium is resistant to attack by hydrochloric or dilute sulfuric acid and to alkali solutions. It is also quite resistant to corrosion by seawater but is reactive toward nitric, hydrofluoric, or concentrated sulfuric acids. Galvanic corrosion tests mn in simulated seawater indicate that vanadium is anodic with respect to stainless steel and copper but cathodic to aluminum and magnesium. Vanadium exhibits corrosion resistance to Hquid metals, eg, bismuth and low oxygen sodium. 

Area effects in galvanic corrosion are very important. An unfavorable area ratio is a large cathode and a small anode. Corrosion of the anode may be 100 to 1,000 times greater than if the two areas were the same. This is the reason why stainless steels are susceptible to rapid pitting in some environments. Steel rivets in a copper plate will corrode much more severely than a steel plate with copper rivets. 

Liquid-Metal Corrosion Liquid metals can also cause corrosion failures. The most damaging are liqmd metals which penetrate the metal along grain boundaries to cause catastrophic failure. Examples include mercury attack on aluminum alloys and attack of stainless steels by molten zinc or aluminum. A fairly common problem occurs when galvanized-structural-steel attachments are welded to stainless piping or eqmpment. In such cases it is mandatoty to remove the galvanizing completely from the area which will be heated above 260°C (500°F). 

Oxygen corrosion only occurs on metal surfaces exposed to oxygenated waters. Many commonly used industrial alloys react with dissolved oxygen in water, forming a variety of oxides and hydroxides. However, alloys most seriously affected are cast irons, galvanized steel, and non-stainless steels. Attack occurs in locations where tuberculation also occurs (see Chap. 3). Often, oxygen corrosion is a precursor to tubercle development. 

For inlet or outlet end erosion-corrosion, either extend tube ends 3 or 4 inches into the water box or install sleeves, inserts, or ferrules into the tube ends. These should be a minimum of 5 inches long. The ferrules may be nonmetallic or erosion-resistant metals, such as stainless steel, if galvanically compatible. The end of the ferrule should be feathered to prevent turbulence. 

Changing the pump metallurgy to a more corrosion- and cavitation-resistant material, such as stainless steel, is a potential solution to this type of problem. Note, however, that all other cast iron pump components that have sustained graphitic corrosion should be replaced to avoid the possibility of galvanic corrosion (see Chap. 16) between retained graphitically corroded cast iron components and new components. 

Galvanic corrosion may also occur by transport of relatively noble metals, either as particulate or as ions, to the surface of an active metal. For example, ions of copper, perhaps resulting from corrosion or erosion-corrosion at an upstream site, may be carried by cooling water to the surfaces of aluminum, steel, or even stainless steel components. If the ions are reduced and deposit on the component surfaces, localized galvanic corrosion may result. 

Galvanic corrosion may occur at stainless steel welds if sensitization has taken place or if welding has produced unfavorable dissimilar phases (see Chap. 15, Weld Defects, particularly Case History 15.1). These forms of microstructural galvanic corrosion do not involve the joining of two different metals in the usual sense. 

Care must be exercised when installing stainless steel inserts in the inlet or exit end of copper or copper-alloy tubes, since galvanic corrosion can occur at the tuhe-insert junction. 

Corrosion of the fasteners occurred due to their galvanic interaction with passive stainless steel. Deterioration was rapid because of the unfavorable area ratio formed by the large areas of stainless steel and the small area of the fasteners, which was further reduced by the incomplete plastic covering overexposed fastener surfaces. 

Materials for metal tanks and installations include plain carbon steel, hot-dipped galvanized steel, stainless steel [e.g., steel No. 1.4571 (AISI 316Ti)], copper and its alloys. The corrosion resistance of these materials in water is very variable and can... 

Louvers can be supplied in various materials and finishes, the most common being anodized or painted aluminum, since this provides good corrosion resistance and light weight. Other options are galvanized steel or, for more rigorous conditions, stainless steel. 

The construction materials should be selected to withstand the operating conditions and the condition of the pollutants. Galvanized sheet steel and black mild steel are the most common for general work. Corrosion or heat applications will have ducting constructed in stainless steel or plastic. 

The specimen design used in the study by Rostoker et al. was such that it simulated both galvanic coupling and crevice conditions. Specimens were immersed in a 1% saline solution at 37 C, and examined by optical microscopy after exposures of a few to 100 days. No corrosion was observed on Ti-6A1-4V when the alloy was either uncoupled, coupled with itself (simple crevice). Or coupled with type 316L stainless steel, cast Co-Cr-Mo... 

Contact of brass, bronze, copper or the more resistant stainless steels with the 13% Cr steels in sea-water can lead to accelerated corrosion of the latter. Galvanic contact effects on metals coupled to the austenitic types are only slight with brass, bronze and copper, but with cadmium, zinc, aluminium and magnesium alloys, insulation or protective measures are necessary to avoid serious attack on the non-ferrous material. Mild steel and the 13% chromium types are also liable to accelerated attack from contact with the chromium-nickel grades. The austenitic materials do not themselves suffer anodic attack in sea-water from contact with any of the usual materials of construction. 

Titanium in contact with other metals In most environments the potentials of passive titanium. Monel and stainless steel, are similar, so that galvanic effects are not likely to occur when these metals are connected. On the other hand, titanium usually functions as an efficient cathode, and thus while contact with dissimilar metals is not likely to lead to any significant attack upon titanium, there may well be adverse galvanic effects upon the other metal. The extent and degree of such galvanic attack will depend upon the relative areas of the titanium and the other metal where the area of the second metal is small in relation to that of titanium severe corrosion of the former will occur, while less corrosion will be evident where the proportions are reversedMetals such as stainless steel, which, like titanium, polarise easily, are much less affected in these circumstances than copper-base alloys and mild steel. 

If dissimilar metals are placed in contact, in an electrolyte, the corrosion rate of the anodic metal will be increased, as the metal lower in the electrochemical series will readily act as a cathode. The galvanic series in sea water for some of the more commonly used metals is shown in Table 7.4. Some metals under certain conditions form a natural protective film for example, stainless steel in oxidising environments. This state is denoted by passive in the series shown in Table 7.4 active indicates the absence of the protective film. Minor... 

A number of methods are used to reduce and prevent corrosion. The most common method is to paint iron materials so that the metals are protected from water and oxygen. Alloying iron with other metals is also a common means to reduce corrosion. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium, nickel, and several other metals. Iron may also be protected by coating it with another metal. Galvanizing refers to applying a coating of zinc to protect the underlying metal. Additionally, because it is a more active metal, zinc oxidizes rather than iron. 

Seawater-based utility systems for condenser and process cooling systems in power plants exhibit serious corrosion, erosion and fouling problems. Equipment made from carbon steel and even stainless steel shows sign of degradation from galvanic effect, corrosion, erosion and microbiological induced corrosion (MIC). Corrosion... 

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