Atmospheric corrosion resistance of stainless steel in the Middle East: Result of a field exposure program in various environments

The environmental conditions and the characteristics of the stainless steel grades used such as alloying composition and surface condition are the most significant factors affecting the atmospheric corrosion resistance of stainless steels. The environment in the Middle East is characterized by high temperature and very little rain fall which together with the distance to the sea have a huge effect on the corrosiveness. The closer the distance is to the sea the higher the corrosivity is of the atmosphere. Selecting suitable stainless steel grades in different locations in the Middle East requires knowledge of the actual atmospheric condition at the location of the application. The aim with this paper is to present information about the effect of various environments in the Middle East on the atmospheric corrosion performance of stainless steels after 4 years exposure. Three different test sites were selected in this study: a marine site and a semi-marine site in the UAE and a rural site in Saudi Arabia. The field test results obtained are used for comparing the atmospheric corrosion resistance of eight different stainless steel grades: two ferritic, two austenitic and four duplex stainless steel grades. The atmospheric corrosion resistance of the stainless steel coupons was determined in terms of corrosion resistance and aesthetic appearance.
QC 20191209