Corrosion Behavior of Some Stainless Steels in Underground Soil Environments

A soil burial program utilizing nine stainless steels was initiated in 1970. Included were annealed and sensitized materials and materials with welds and crevices. After exposure for up to eight years in the soils, the annealed AISI Types 201, 202, 301, 304 and 316 were relatively immune to corrosion in three of the six soils, while AISI Types 409, 410, 430 and 434 were perforated by corrosion in five of the six soils. In the more corrosive soils, the AISI 200 and 300 series were susceptible to pitting and tunneling corrosion.