Corrosion of Weldments

Weldments exhibit special microstructural features that need to be recognized and understood in order to predict acceptable corrosion service life of welded structures. This article describes some of the general characteristics associated with the corrosion of weldments. It emphasizes the role of macrocompositional and microcompositional variations to bring out differences that need to be realized in comparing corrosion of weldments to that of wrought materials. The article concludes with a discussion on important welding practices used to minimize corrosion in weldments.