Metals Susceptible to Pitting Corrosion

Stainless steels tend to be the most susceptible to pitting corrosion among metals and alloys. For example, stainless steels tend to form deep pits in seawater, and environments containing higher concentrations of chlorine or bromine solutions. Polishing the surface of stainless steels can increase the resistance to pitting corrosion compared to etching or grinding the surface. Alloying can have a significant impact on the pitting resistance of stainless steels. The effects of some of the alloying elements of stainless steels on the corresponding resistance to pitting are provided in Table 13.