Pitting corrosion is usually found on passive metals and alloys such aluminium alloys, stainless steels and stainless alloys when the ultra-thin passive film (oxide film) is chemically or mechanically damaged and does not immediately repassivate. The resulting pits can become wide and shallow or narrow and deep which can rapidly perforate the wall thickness of a metal. The shape of pitting corrosion can only be identified through metallography. (From www.engineeringtoolbox.com).
5. Read the text again. Decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Corrosion can be divided into four types.
2. Pitting corrosion refers to corrosion occurring in confined spaces to which the access of the working fluid from the environment is limited.
3. Pitting corrosion is the least damaging form of corrosion.
6. Translate the following text. What is its main idea?
Crevice corrosion is an intense local attack within crevices or shielded areas on metal surfaces exposed to corrosive solutions. It is characteristically encountered with metals and alloys which rely on a surface oxide film for corrosion protection, e.g., stainless steels, titanium, aluminum, etc. The crevices can be inherent in the design of the equipment (e.g., plate heat exchangers) or inadvertently created by a bad design. Crevice corrosion can be initiated at metal to nonmetallic sealing faces. Any non-metallic material which is porous and used as a gasket, for example, is particularly good (or bad!) for initiating this form of attack. Fibrous materials which have a strong wicking action are notorious in their ability to initiate crevice attack. Similarly, materials which have poor stress relaxation characteristics, i.e., have little or no ability to recover their original shape after being deformed, are also crevice creators – as are materials which tend to creep under the influence of applied loads and/or at elevated temperatures. On the other hand, elastomeric materials are particularly good insofar as they exhibit elastic recovery and have the ability to form a crevice-free seal. However, at elevated temperatures, rubbers may harden. In this condition, they suffer the deficiencies of nonelastomeric gasketing materials.
Artificial crevices can also be created by the deposition of scale from one of the process streams to which the metal is exposed. It is necessary, therefore, to maintain food processing equipment in a scale-free condition – especially on surfaces exposed to service fluids such as hot/cold water, cooling brines, etc. – which tend to be overlooked during plant cleaning operations.