Stainless steels atmospheric corrosion

Stainless steel. A group of Cr or Cr —Ni steels showing an unusually high resistance to corrosion by the atmosphere and many chemical reagents. In order to achieve this resistance to corrosion > 12% Cr is necessary. 

The stainless steels contain appreciable amounts of Cr, Ni, or both. The straight chrome steels, types 410, 416, and 430, contain about 12, 13, and 16 wt % Cr respectively. The chrome—nickel steels include type 301 (18 wt % Cr and 9 wt % Ni), type 304 (19 wt % Cr and 10 wt % Ni), and type 316 (19 wt % Cr and 12 wt % Ni). Additionally, type 316 contains 2—3 wt % Mo which gready improves resistance to crevice corrosion in seawater as well as general corrosion resistance. AH of the stainless steels offer exceptional improvement in atmospheric conditions. The corrosion resistance results from the formation of a passive film and, for this reason, these materials are susceptible to pitting corrosion and to crevice corrosion. For example, type 304 stainless has very good resistance to moving seawater but does pit in stagnant seawater. 

Corrosion resistance is inferior to that of austenitic stainless steels, and martensitic steels are generally used in mildly corrosive environments (atmospheric, fresh water, and organic exposures). 

Consideration must be given to possible equipment corrosion from such external sources as a corrosive atmosphere, spills, insulation, or gland leakage. For example, insulation containing trace quantities of chlorides can cause stress corrosion failure of 18-8 stainless steel vessels and piping. ... 

Copper has excellent resistance to some corrosive environments, including fresh waters and fluoride-containing atmospheres. Alloying is necessary to achieve good strength, but copper limiting with steel for strength is an alternative (BS 5624). Copper and some of its alloys are susceptible to crevice corrosion, but the mechanism is different from that which affects stainless steels. 

Nickel and nickel alloys possess a high degree of resistance to corrosion when exposed to the atmosphere, much higher than carbon and low-alloy steels, although not as high as stainless steels. Corrosion by the atmosphere is, therefore, rarely if ever a factor limiting the life of nickel and nickel alloy structures when exposed to that environment. 

There are many grades of stainless steel, and some are virtually non-corrodible under ordinary atmospheric conditions. Their resistance results from the protective and normally self-repairing oxide film formed on the surface. However, under reducing conditions, or under conditions that prevent the access of oxygen, this film is not repaired, with consequent corrosion. 

Another way to protect a metal uses an impervious metal oxide layer. This process is known as passivation, hi some cases, passivation is a natural process. Aluminum oxidizes readily in air, but the result of oxidation is a thin protective layer of AI2 O3 through which O2 cannot readily penetrate. Aluminum oxide adheres to the surface of unoxidized aluminum, protecting the metal from further reaction with O2. Passivation is not effective for iron, because iron oxide is porous and does not adhere well to the metal. Rust continually flakes off the surface of the metal, exposing fresh iron to the atmosphere. Alloying iron with nickel or chromium, whose oxides adhere well to metal surfaces, can be used to prevent corrosion. For example, stainless steel contains as much as 17% chromium and 10% nickel, whose oxides adhere to the metal surface and prevent corrosion. 

The martensitic alloys contain 12 to 20 percent chromium with controlled amounts of carbon and other additives. Type 410 is a typical member of this group. These alloys can be hardened by heat treatment, which can increase tensile strength from 550 to 1380 MPa (80,000 to 200,000 Ibf/in ). Corrosion resistance is inferior to that of austenitic stainless steels, and martensitic steels are generally used in mildly corrosive environments (atmospheric, freshwater, and organic exposures). In the hardened condition, these materials are very susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. 

Vanadium is an excellent alloy metal with iron that produces hard, strong, corrosion-resistant steel that resists most acids and alkali. It is even more resistant to seawater corrosion than is stainless steel. Vanadium is difficult to prepare in a pure form in large amounts. Impure forms seem to work as well as a very pure form of the metal when used as an alloy. When worked as a metal, it must be heated in an inert atmosphere because it will readily oxidize. 

The problem is somewhat different with an oxidizer such as N204. While N204 is compatible with aluminum and many stainless steels, the presence of a small amount of water as an impurity can increase its corrosive characteristics considerably. In addition, if a leak, even of micron size, is present in the propellant tank, a corrosive condition occurs, caused by reaction of the metal with nitric acid, which formed when the N204 contacts water from the surrounding atmosphere. 

NH1CONH2 + H2O. The processing is complicated because of the severe corrosiveness of the reactants, usually requiring reaction vessels that are lined with lead, titanium, zirconium, silver, or stainless steel. The second step of the process requires a temperature of about 200 C to effect the dehydration of the ammonium carbamate. The processing pressure ranges from 160 to 250 atmospheres. Only about one-half of the ammonium carbamate is dehydrated in the first pass. Thus, the excess carbamate, after separation from the urea, must be recycled to the urea reactor or used for other products, such as the production of ammonium sulfate. 

While the chemical resistance varies somewhat, stainless steel is fairly resistant to most acids and bases, is not amalgamated by mercury, and is generally resistant to oxidizing agents. While it can be used in fluorine handling, Monel and nickel are much better for this purpose. The resistance of stainless steel to atmospheric corrosion is an advantage in vacuum work because a corroded surface tends to outgas. 

In situ Raman spectroscopy is being used to investigate corrosion products from zinc in a humid atmosphere and sodium chloride70 and from Type 304L stainless steel in aerated water at elevated temperatures and pressures.71 The changes in detected species over time helped identify possible corrosion mechanisms and the effect of different variables on corrosion rates and mechanisms. 

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