Corrosion is a natural process, which converts a refined metal to a more stable form,

such as its oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide. It is the gradual destruction of materials (usually
metals) by chemical reaction with their environment.
There are five general types of corrosion: galvanic, stress cracking, general, localized and
caustic agent corrosion. Galvanic corrosion is extraordinarily common, and occurs when two
metals with different electrochemical charges are linked via a conductive path.

Types of corrosion according to [58]

[German version]

The various types of corrosion are listed in the following table:

Uniform corrosion

The reaction starts at the

surface and proceeds
uniformly.

Intergranular corrosion

Imperceptible or barely
perceptible from outside, since
the corrosion proceeds at the
grain boundaries.

Localized corrosion (pitting

corrosion)
The basis metal is eaten away and
perforated in places in the manner
of holes, the rest of the surface
being affected only slightly or not at
all.

Transgranular or intragranular
corrosion

The grain boundary material is

retained, since the corrosion
proceeds preferentially within the
grain.

Wide pitting corrosion

The corrosion causes

localized scarring.

Galvanic corrosion

Increased corrosion in
crevices or cracks or at
contact surfaces between two
metal articles.

Selective corrosion
Corrosive attack on structural
constituents

Exfoliation corrosion
Occurs in deformed articles.
Corrosion follows "fiber orientation".

Interfacial corrosion
Frequently observed at
water-air interfaces.

here are many different types of corrosion, each of which can be classified by the cause
of the metal's chemical deterioration.
Listed below are 10 common types of corrosion:

1. General Attack Corrosion:

Also known as uniform attack corrosion, general attack corrosion is the most common
type of corrosion and is caused by a chemical or electrochemical reaction that results in
the deterioration of the entire exposed surface of a metal. Ultimately, the metal
deteriorates to the point of failure.
General attack corrosion accounts for the greatest amount of metal destruction by
corrosion, but is considered as a safe form of corrosion, due to the fact that it is
predictable, manageable and often preventable.

2. Localized Corrosion:
Unlike general attack corrosion, localized corrosion specifically targets one area of the
metal structure. Localized corrosion is classified as one of three types:

Pitting: Pitting results when a small hole, or cavity, forms in the metal, usually as
a result of de-passivation of a small area. This area becomes anodic, while part of the
remaining metal becomes cathodic, producing a localized galvanic reaction. The
deterioration of this small area penetrates the metal and can lead to failure. This form of
corrosion is often difficult to detect due to the fact that it is usually relatively small and
may be covered and hidden by corrosion-produced compounds
Crevice corrosion: Similar to pitting, crevice corrosion occurs at a specific
location. This type of corrosion is often associated with a stagnant micro-environment,
like those found under gaskets and washers and clamps. Acidic conditions, or a
depletion of oxygen in a crevice can lead to crevice corrosion.
Filiform corrosion: Occurring under painted or plated surfaces when water
breaches the coating, filiform corrosion begins at small defects in the coating and
spreads to cause structural weakness.

3. Galvanic Corrosion:
Galvanic corrosion, or dissimiliar metal corrosion, occurs when two different metals are
located together in a corrosive electrolyte. A galvanic couple forms between the two
metals, where one metal becomes the anode and the other the cathode. The anode, or
sacrificial metal, corrodes and deteriorates faster than it would alone, while the cathode
deteriorates more slowly than it would otherwise.
Three conditions must exist for galvanic corrosion to occur:

Electrochemically dissimilar metals must be present

The metals must be in electrical contact, and

The metals must be exposed to an electrolyte

4. Environmental Cracking:
Environmental cracking is a corrosion process that can result from a combination of
environmental conditions affecting the metal. Chemical, temperature and stress-related
conditions can result in the following types of environmental corrosion:

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)

Corrosion fatigue

Hydrogen-induced cracking

Liquid metal embrittlement

5. Flow-Assisted Corrosion (FAC):

Flow-assisted corrosion, or flow-accelerated corrosion, results when a protective layer of
oxide on a metal surface is dissolved or removed by wind or water, exposing the
underlying metal to further corrode and deteriorate.

Erosion-assisted corrosion

Impingement

Cavitation

7. Intergranular corrosion

Intergranular corrosion is a chemical or electrochemical attack on the grain boundaries

of a metal. This often occurs due to impurities in the metal, which tend to be present in
higher contents near grain boundaries. These boundaries can be more vulnerable to
corrosion than the bulk of the metal.

8. De-Alloying:
De-alloying, or selective leaching, is the selective corrosion of a specific element in
an alloy. The most common type of de-alloying is de-zincification of unstabilized brass.
The result of corrosion in such cases is a deteriorated and porous copper.

9. Fretting corrosion:
Fretting corrosion occurs as a result of repeated wearing, weight and/or vibration on an
uneven, rough surface. Corrosion, resulting in pits and grooves, occurs on the surface.
Fretting corrosion is often found in rotation and impact machinery, bolted assemblies
and bearings, as well as to surfaces exposed to vibration during transportation.

10. High-Temperature Corrosion:

Fuels used in gas turbines, diesel engines and other machinery, which contain
vanadium or sulfates can, during combustion, form compounds with a low melting point.
These compounds are very corrosive towards metal alloys normally resistant to high
temperatures and corrosion, including stainless steel.
High temperature corrosion can also be caused by high temperature oxidization,
sulfidation and carbonization.

Sources:
The Corrosion Technology Laboratory (NASA)
http://corrosion.ksc.nasa.gov/index.htm
NACE International
http://www.nace.org/

Types of Corrosion
There are several types of corrosion and the science and understanding of these
processes are constantly evolving. Here is a brief overview of some common types of
corrosion:

Galvanic corrosion is the most common and impactful form of corrosion. It occurs
when two dissimilar (different) metals are in contact in the presence of an electrolyte. In a
galvanic cell (bimetallic couple), the more active metal (anode) corrodes and the more
noble metal (cathode) is protected. There are a number of factors that affect the galvanic
corrosion including types of metals, relative size of anode, and environment (temperature,
humidity, salinity, etc.)

Pitting Corrosion occurs under certain conditions, which leads to accelerated corrosion
in certain areas rather than uniform corrosion throughout the piece. Such conditions
include low concentrations of oxygen or high concentrations of chlorides (anions) that
interfere with the alloys ability to reform a passivating film. In the worst cases, most of
the surface remains protected, but tiny fluctuations degrade the film in a few critical
areas. Corrosion at these points is amplified and can cause pits.

Microbial corrosion, commonly referred to as microbiologically influenced corrosion

(MIC) is caused by microorganisms. It applies to both metallic and non-metallic materials
with or without oxygen. When oxygen is absent, sulfate-reducing bacteria are active and

produce hydrogen sulfide causing sulfide stress cracking. When oxygen is present, some
bacteria may directly oxidize iron to iron oxides and hydroxides. Concentration cells can
form in the deposits of corrosion products, leading to localized corrosion.

High-temperature corrosion, as its name suggest, is deterioration of a metal due to

heating. This can occur when a metal is subjected to a hot atmosphere in the presence of
oxygen, sulfur, or other compound capable of oxidizing the material.

Crevice corrosion occurs in confined spaces where access of fluid from the
environment is limited such as gaps and contact areas between parts, under gaskets or
seals, inside cracks and seams and spaces filled with deposits.

Lecture 1: Corrosion: Introduction Definitions and Types NPTEL Web Course 1

Course Title: Advances in Corrosion Engineering Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A.
Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Lecture 1
Corrosion: Introduction Definitions and Types
Keywords: Definition of Corrosion, Corrosion Types, Environment.
Corrosion can be viewed as a universal phenomenon, omnipresent and omnipotent.
It is there everywhere, air, water, soil and in every environment, we encounter.
There is no single figure for loss to the nation due to corrosion. It can be a minimum
of 3.5% of the nations GDP. Losses due to corrosion could be around Rs. 2.0 lakh
crores per annum in India. Corrosion costs manifest in the form of premature
deterioration or failure necessitating maintenance, repairs and replacement of
damaged parts. In the US, total direct cost of corrosion is estimated at about 300
billion dollars per year; which is about 3.2% of domestic product. Corrosion has a
huge economic and environmental impact on all facets of national infrastructure;
from highways, bridges, buildings, oil and gas, chemical processing, water and
waste water treatment and virtually on all metallic objects in use. Other than
material loss, corrosion interferes with human safety, disrupts industrial operations
and poses danger to environment. Awareness to corrosion and adaptation of timely
and appropriate control measures hold the key in the abatement of corrosion
failures. Definitions: Corrosion is the deterioration or destruction of metals and
alloys in the presence of an environment by chemical or electrochemical means. In
simple terminology, corrosion processes involve reaction of metals with
environmental species.
As per IUPAC, Corrosion is an irreversible interfacial reaction of a material (metal,
ceramic, polymer) with its environment which results in its consumption or

dissolution into the material of a component of the environment. Often, but not
necessarily, corrosion results in effects detrimental to the usage of the material
considered. Exclusively physical or mechanical processes such as melting and
evaporation, abrasion or mechanical fracture are not included in the term corrosion
With the knowledge of the role of various microorganisms present in soil and water
bodies, the definition for corrosion need be further widened to include
microbiallyinfluenced factors. Corrosion can be classified in different ways, such as
Chemical and electrochemical High temperature and low temperature Wet corrosion
and dry corrosion. Dry corrosion occurs in the absence of aqueous environment,
usually in the presence of gases and vapours, mainly at high temperatures.
Electrochemical nature of corrosion can be understood by examining zinc
dissolution in dilute hydrochloric acid.
Environmental effects such as those of presence of oxygen and other oxidizers,
changes in flow rates (velocity), temperature, reactant concentrations and pH would
influence rates of anodic and cathodic reactions
The most important types are Uniform corrosion. Galvanic corrosion, concentration
cells, water line attack Pitting. Dezincification, Dealloying (selective leaching)
Atmospheric corrosion. Erosion corrosion Fretting Crevice corrosion; cavitation
Stress corrosion, intergranular and transgranular corrosion, hydrogen cracking and
embrittlement Corrosion fatigue.

Ref:

http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/misc/korro.htm
http://metals.about.com/od/metallurgy/a/Types-Of-Corrosion.htm
http://www.galvanizeit.org/corrosion/corrosion-process/types-of-corrosion