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Discoloration of Passive Film

Has anyone heard of white/off-white discolorization occurring in the passive film of 300 SS?
What could be the possible contamination that would cause this?

Don Pruette
- Huntington Beach, California
2001

We have analyzed many cases of discoloration on stainless steel components. The range of causes for the discoloration range almost as numerous as the cases evaluated. A true passive film on 300-series SS will not be thick enough to show any color. The discoloration on your parts could be foreign material contamination due to who knows what or it could simply be a slight change in surface finish from the prior processing. Determine the specific condition and cause on your parts by laboratory characterization. Some applicable technique are shown on our web site linked from this post.

Larry Hanke
Minneapolis, Minnesota
2001

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