Stainless steels are characterized as having relatively poor wear resistance and tribological properties, but they are often required for a particular application because of their corrosion resistance. This article describes the classification of stainless steels and wear. Stainless steels have been classified by microstructure and are categorized as austenitic, martensitic, ferritic, or duplex. The main categories of wear are related to abrasion, erosion, adhesive wear, and surface fatigue. The article presents a list that proposes the alloy family that could be the optimal selection for a particular wear mode. The corrosion modes include dry sliding, tribocorrosion, erosion, erosion-corrosion, cavitation, dry erosion, erosion-oxidation, galling and fretting.

Solid particle erosion (SPE) is the loss of material that results from repeated impact of solid particles energized in a carrier fluid. This article reviews important SPE variables, their effects for different classes of materials, composites and coatings, and the mechanisms and theories proposed to explain SPE. It discusses the SPE of metals, steels, and ceramics, as well as erosion of alloys with coarse, nominally two-phase microstructures in which the second-phase particles (SPPs) are typically large compared with the dimensions of the damage zone created by the impact of one particle. The article summarizes the erosion characteristics of polymer matrix composites (PMCs), metal matrix composites (MMCs), ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), and erosion-resistant coatings. The combination of parameters included in most erosion models is also summarized.

Erosion occurs as the result of a number of different mechanisms, depending on the composition, size, and shape of the eroding particles; their velocity and angle of impact; and the composition of the surface being eroded. This article describes the erosion of ductile and brittle materials with the aid of models and equations. It presents three examples of erosive wear failures, namely, abrasive erosion, erosion-corrosion, and cavitation erosion.

Erosion is the progressive loss of original material from a solid surface due to mechanical interaction between that surface and a fluid, a multicomponent fluid, an impinging liquid, or impinging solid particles. The detrimental effects of erosion have caused problems in a number of industries. This article describes the processes involved in erosion of ductile materials, brittle materials, and elastomers. Some examples of erosive wear failures are given on abrasive erosion, liquid impingement erosion, cavitation, and erosion-corrosion. In addition, the article provides information on the selection of materials for applications in which erosive wear failures can occur.

Aluminum and its alloys are highly corrosion resistant, protected by a self-healing oxide film that effectively passivates the underlying surface. This article examines the various processes by which the protective layer can be breached and the types of corrosion that can occur. It describes pitting, galvanic, and atmospheric corrosion as well as stress-corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue, and erosion corrosion. It also covers intergranular, exfoliation, filiform, deposition, and crevice corrosion and special cases of corrosion in soils, seawater, and automotive coolant systems. The article provides an extensive amount of data as well as information on coatings, claddings, and cathodic protection methods; the effects of composition, microstructure, and surface treatments; and the compatibility of aluminum with food and various household and industrial chemicals.

This article focuses on common failures of the components associated with the flow path of industrial gas turbines. Examples of steam turbine blade failures are also discussed, because these components share some similarities with gas turbine blading. Some of the analytical methods used in the laboratory portion of the failure investigation are mentioned in the failure examples. The topics covered are creep, localized overheating, thermal-mechanical fatigue, high-cycle fatigue, fretting wear, erosive wear, high-temperature oxidation, hot corrosion, liquid metal embrittlement, and manufacturing and repair deficiencies.

This article provides an overview of the identification systems for various grades of wrought stainless steels, namely, the American Iron and Steel Institute numbering system, the Unified Numbering System, and proprietary designations. It elaborates on five major families of stainless steels, as defined by the crystallographic structure. These include ferritic stainless steels, austenitic stainless steels, martensitic stainless steels, and precipitation-hardening stainless steels. The mechanism of corrosion protection for stainless steels is reviewed. The article examines the effects of composition, processing, design, fabrication, and external treatments on the corrosion of stainless steels. Various forms of corrosion, namely, general, galvanic, pitting, crevice, intergranular, stress-corrosion cracking, erosion-corrosion, and oxidation, are reviewed. Corrosion testing for; corrosion in atmosphere, water, and chemical environments; and the applications of stainless steels in various industries are also discussed.

This article describes the specific features and mechanisms of oxidation in thermal spray coatings. It discusses the two forms of hot corrosion in sulfur-containing combustion, namely high-temperature hot corrosion and low-temperature hot corrosion. The article reviews the behavior of corrosion-resistant coatings in boilers. The effects of high-temperature corrosion in waste incinerators are detailed. The article also examines the effects of erosion-corrosion in fluidized bed combustion boilers.

Titanium alloys are often used in highly corrosive environments because they are better suited than most other materials. The excellent corrosion resistance is the result of naturally occurring surface oxide films that are stable, uniform, and adherent. This article offers explanations and insights on the most common forms of corrosion observed with titanium alloys, including general corrosion, crevice corrosion, anodic pitting, hydrogen damage, stress-corrosion cracking, galvanic corrosion, corrosion fatigue, and erosion-corrosion. It also provides practical strategies for expanding the useful application range for titanium and includes a comprehensive overview of available corrosion data.

This article provides a description of the classification, industrial applications, microstructures, physical, chemical, corrosion, and mechanical properties of zirconium and its alloys. It discusses the formation of oxide films and the effects of water, temperature, and pH on zirconium. The delayed hydride cracking of zirconium is also described. The article provides information on the resistance of zirconium to various types of corrosion, including pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, galvanic corrosion, microbiologically induced corrosion, erosion-corrosion, and fretting corrosion. The article explains the effects of tin content in zirconium and effects of fabrication on corrosion. Corrosion control measures for all types of corrosion are also highlighted. The article concludes with information on the safety precautions associated with handling of zirconium.

High-temperature corrosion can occur in numerous environments and is affected by various parameters such as temperature, alloy and protective coating compositions, stress, time, and gas composition. This article discusses the primary mechanisms of high-temperature corrosion, namely oxidation, carburization, metal dusting, nitridation, carbonitridation, sulfidation, and chloridation. Several other potential degradation processes, namely hot corrosion, hydrogen interactions, molten salts, aging, molten sand, erosion-corrosion, and environmental cracking, are discussed under boiler tube failures, molten salts for energy storage, and degradation and failures in gas turbines. The article describes the effects of environment on aero gas turbine engines and provides an overview of aging, diffusion, and interdiffusion phenomena. It also discusses the processes involved in high-temperature coatings that improve performance of superalloy.