The name stainless steel, we heard many times in our day to day life. Stainless Steel Alloy is an integral part of our life. Stainless Steel is an alloy with minimum of 10.5% chromium with nickel and iron. As they have larger chromium content that acts as a thin layer of oxide to prevent different types of corrosion. If chromium content in stainless steel increases will increase the corrosion resistance.

There is a number of applications for which stainless steel alloy is used. So first we see the applications and then take a look at the various types of stainless steel corrosion. Stainless Steel is broadly used in various industries including domestic, agricultural, transport, chemical, pharmaceuticals, medical, food, drink, water supply, and many others.

The most common types of stainless steel corrosion are:

1. Pitting Corrosion: This is the most common type of corrosion. The thin layer of oxide is attacked by certain chemical species that reduce the chromium layer and forms the pitting corrosion. Chlorine ion present in chemical adversely reduces the passive thin layer and corrodes the stainless steel.
2. Crevice Corrosion: Oxygen is supplied on the stainless steel will make sure the passive layer of oxide formed on the surface. But many times due to tight crevices, this won’t happen therefore causing the vulnerable attack.
3. General Corrosion: Stainless steel is not uniformly corroded like any other ordinary carbon and alloy steels. But sometimes, chemical mainly acids, attacked the passive layer on stainless steel will corrode the stainless steel depending on the concentration and temperature of the acids.
4. Stress Corrosion Cracking: This is the rare corrosion occur in case of stainless steel. This corrosion is a combination of tensile strength, temperature and corrosive species like chloride ion, then it occurs. Stress Corrosion Cracking happens typically in swimming pools and hot water tanks.
5. Intergranular Corrosion: This is the rarest type of corrosion happens in Stainless Steel. If the carbon content in stainless steel is high and chromium combines with carbon to form Chromium Chloride and operate at high temperature then this type of corrosion happening on inside the stainless steel.

Still, there are more types of corrosion occur on Stainless Steel, like Galvanic Corrosion, if you want to learn more about Stainless Steel Corrosion then feel free to contact us!