A new index to estimate the corrosion resistance of aluminium‐containing steel

Abstract

AbstractA new index that estimates the corrosion resistance of aluminium‐containing steel is established and verified. It is based on the well‐known pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) but accounts for aluminium additions. It is shown that aluminium enhances the corrosion resistance of chromium‐containing steel, with a coefficient of 5.2. The new corrosion resistance index (CRI) is as follows CRI = Cr + 3.3Mo + 16N + 5.2Al. A minimum of 4 wt% of chromium addition is needed. In addition, the atomic ratio of chromium to aluminium addition needs to be higher than 1, for this new index to be valid. This new index allows for simple alloy design guidelines for steel applications that require improved corrosion resistance. Analysis of the data from the literature shows that this index becomes inaccurate when the corrosion environment is in the presence of NaCl, and aluminium becomes less effective in enhancing corrosion resistance.