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Types of Corrosions
Metallic Corrosion is classified into eight types.
•Uniform corrosion is the attack of a metal at essentially
the same at all exposed areas of its surface.
•Uniform attack is a form of electrochemical corrosion
that occurs with equivalent intensity over the entire
exposed surface and often leaves behind a scale or deposit
•In a microscopic sense, the oxidation and reduction
reactions occur randomly over the surface.
• Uniform corrosion occurs when there are local anodic
and cathodic sites on the surface of the metal.
• In uniform corrosion, the metal loss occurs at essentially
the same rate over the entire metal surface.
•Smooth surfaces are usually roughened during uniform
corrosion.
•It can be controlled by cathodic protection or by using paints or
coatings.
Cathodic Protection
•Galvanic corrosion is a localized corrosion mechanism by
which metals can be preferentially corroded.
•Galvanic corrosion occurs when two metals or alloys having
different compositions are electrically coupled while exposed to
an electrolyte.
•The more reactive metal will experience corrosion and the less
reactive metal, will be protected.
•When galvanic couple is formed, one of the metal in the couple
becomes anode and corrodes faster than it would alone, while
other become cathode and corrodes slower than it would alone.
•Galvanic corrosion can occur in a single metal placed in two
different surroundings or electrolytes.
•For example, steel screws corrode when in contact with brass in
a marine environment, or if copper and steel tubing are joined
in a domestic water heater, the steel will corrode in the vicinity
of the junction.
Elbow
•Intergranular corrosion occurs preferentially along grain
boundaries for some alloys and in specific environments.
•The net result is that a macroscopic specimen disintegrates
along its grain boundaries. This type of corrosion occurs in some
stainless steels.
•When heated to temperatures between 500 and 800C for
sufficiently long time periods, these alloys become sensitized to
intergranular attack.
•It is believed that this heat treatment permits the formation of
small precipitate particles of chromium carbide (Cr23C6)by
reaction between the chromium and carbon in the stainless
steel.
Chromium carbide particles that have precipitated
along grain boundaries in stainless steel, and
the attendant zones of chromium depletion.
•Both the chromium and the carbon must diffuse to the
grain boundaries to form the precipitates, which leaves a
chromium-depleted zone adjacent to the grain boundary.
Consequently, this grain boundary region is now highly
susceptible to corrosion.
•Intergranular corrosion is an especially severe problem in
the welding of stainless steels, when it is often termed weld
decay.
•Intergranular corrosion of stainless steels near welded
areas; caused by chromium carbide precipitation along
grain boundaries of alloy subject to prolonged heating in
the temperature range 400-850°C.
Weld decay in a stainless steel.
• Subjecting the sensitized material to a high-temperature
heat treatment in which all the chromium carbide particles
are re dissolved.
• Lowering the carbon content below 0.03 wt% C so that
carbide formation is minimal.
• Alloying the stainless steel with another metal such as
titanium, which has a greater tendency to form carbides
than does chromium so that the Cr remains in solid solution.
•Selective leaching (dealloying, demetalification, parting
and selective corrosion) is found in solid solution alloys and
occurs when one element or constituent is preferentially
removed (leached) as a consequence of corrosion processes.
•The less noble metal is removed from the alloy by
microscopic-scale galvanic corrosion mechanism
•The most common example is the dezincification of brass,
in which zinc is selectively leached from a copper–zinc
brass alloy.
•Similar process in other alloy system such as loss of nickel,
tin and chromium from copper alloy.
•Use alloys not susceptible to grain boundary depletion,
•Use a suitable heat treatment,
•Altering the environment (e.g. lowering oxygen content),
•Use cathodic protection.
Selective corrosion on Cast Iron
It refers to corrosion damage at the asperities
(roughness) of the contact surfaces. This damage is
induced under load and in the presence of repeated
relative surface motion, as induced for example by
vibration.
Hydrogen Embrittlement
Hydrogen embrittlement is the process by which
various metals, most importantly high-strength steel,
become brittle and fracture following exposure to
hydrogen. Hydrogen embrittlement is often the result
of unintentional introduction of hydrogen into
susceptible metals during forming or finishing
operations and increases cracking in the material.
1. Material Selection
2. Environmental Alteration
3. Design
4. Coating
5. Cathodic Protection
One of the most effective means of corrosion prevention is
cathodic protection; it can be used for all eight different forms
of corrosion as discussed above, and may in some situations,
completely stop corrosion.