Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Recognizing 316SS corrosion

In my line of work we often deal with corrosion of 316SS. Often, the metal is difficult to access and objectively measure the level of corrosion (such as the inside of a chromatography column). Standards have been set by my company, with individuals specially trained to recognize the levels, but is there a simple technique the rest of us can use to recognize corrosion (and thereby know when to call in the experts)? Something like the hand-held black light used to detect cracks in ceramics, just something to make cracks and blemishes more obvious to the naked eye. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Katie Chapple
biotechnology - Winters, California, USA
2004

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2004

Katie,

I can't help thinking that you are searching, so to speak, for the Holy Grail.

In the auto (racing) world they use a coloured light to search out stress cracks in the suspension ... and when found, they replace those items.

Much depends on the process whereby the stainless ... or any metal ... can be stressed.

If you go to the bottom of this page, you'll see a connection to the archives. Go and have a gander at # 9872 as that will give you, I hope, some insights ... and you could easily draw some comparisons to stresses in metals.

The stresses in the plastics remain hidden as they do in metals UNTIL they are provoked by heat, forces or chemicals.

Sorry, there just ain't no easy panacea. But if you don't asks, you don't gets.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).