This paper reports a detailed comparison between an analytical electron microscopy (AEM) study of the chromium depletion process around grain boundary carbides in an austenitic stainless steel (SS) and the corrosion results for the same steel tested in the modified Strauss test. The comparison shows that chromium depletion is the primary cause for attack in this test. The occurrence of corrosion, shape of the corroded region at the grain boundary, length of attack along a boundary, and depth of corrosion penetration into the sample can all be explained in terms of the chromium depletion detected by AEM. The only disagreement is in the width of the corroded region at the grain boundary. It is always wider than that of the depleted material.

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National Association of Corrosion Engineers
1986
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