A review of microbiological corrosion in the high performance stainless steels
- Technical Marketing Resources, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
In recent years ``microbiologically influenced corrosion`` has become accepted as a form of corrosion that occurs in stainless steels. In fact, although difficult to reproduce or study in the laboratory, evidence continues to mount of its pervasiveness in the real world of applications, especially in systems handling natural waters at near-ambient temperatures. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) usually is of a localized nature in stainless steels. It exhibits many of the morphological features of localized pitting or crevice corrosion that often are associated with the chloride ion and its ability to locally depassivate a stainless surface. As this form of corrosion has become more accepted, a school of thought has developed which says that all grades are equally susceptible, and that stainless steels cannot be used where the threat of microbiological action exists. However, in virtually every case where ``classic`` symptoms are described and the grade of stainless steel was mentioned, the grade is Type 304, Type 316, or their low carbon or welding consumable counterparts. There has been a decided lack of similar case histories for the high performance stainless steels. Only one instance of apparent MIC in a service situation could be found; this involved alloy 904L which has only moderate pitting resistance. This suggests that a case has not yet been made that these alloys are susceptible to rapid MIC degradation in service applications, and indeed, they may offer a solution to this type of corrosion problem.
- OSTI ID:
- 207779
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951010-; ISBN 0-7918-1488-2; TRN: IM9616%%107
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International joint power generation conference and exposition, Minneapolis, MN (United States), 8-12 Oct 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 1995 international joint power generation conference -- Volume 3: Power. PWR-Volume 28; Fruchtman, I.; Hartman, S.; Moore, B.; Henry, R.; Karg, D.; Curley, M.; Reid, S.; Sykes, B. [eds.]; PB: 545 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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