Considerations to Prevent External Stress Corrosion Cracking with Austenitic Stainless Steel
One of the greatest threats, sources of system failure and maintenance/replacement costs to mechanical systems is corrosion to the metallic surfaces of piping and equipment. For corrosion to occur, three (3) elements are required: metal, air (oxygen) and water (electrolyte). Since metal and air are constant, the contributing factor to corrosion is the introduction of moisture. The corrosion process is accelerated with an insulated system when moisture becomes trapped between the insulation and metallic surface. This condition is known as corrosion under insulation (CUI)…