Corrosion Resistance of Microcrystalline Stainless Steels

The corrosion behavior of microcrystalline stainless steels, rapidly solidified and then hot extruded to form rods having 2–5 μm grains, was studied in aqueous solutions with and without chloride additions. In a chloride‐free solution, the microcrystalline alloys showed electrochemical behavior virtually identical to that of conventionally processed alloys of the same composition. Resistance to pitting corrosion of the microcrystalline alloys in at 60°C was found to be greater than that of the conventional counterparts. It is concluded that the high degree of homogeneity characteristic of the microcrystalline alloys, which resulted from rapid solidification, is the principal reason for their resistance to pitting corrosion.