technical case study
corrosion resistance. Nevertheless, the report cautions that even duplex grades are not immune to poor workmanship.
Fabrication flaws The guide identifies fabrication-induced corrosion as the dominant cause of premature stainless steel failures along the South African coast. Among the most common problems are heat tint left after welding, inadequate pickling and passivation, carbon steel contamination, rough grinding and the creation of crevices during fabrication or installation. Heat tint, for example, creates chromium-depleted zones with weakened corrosion resistance. If not properly removed, these areas can become initiation points for pitting and crevice corrosion. Likewise, carbon steel contamination from shared workshop tools or grinding dust can establish local corrosion cells that attack the stainless steel surface. coast is not a failure of metallurgy, but rather a failure of fabrication discipline.” “Most stainless steel corrosion seen along the South African
The report argues that many corrosion failures incorrectly attributed to material grade selection are actually workmanship-related. A key diagnostic indicator is corrosion patterning. Corrosion concentrated around welds, fasteners or isolated surface areas generally points to fabrication or contamination issues rather than alloy inadequacy. Uniform pitting across all surfaces is more indicative of a genuine material-environment mismatch.
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Issue 2 – 2026
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