Corrosion is a chemical or electrochemical reaction between a metal and its environment,resulting in

deterioration of the properties and/or appearance of metal.

 Welded joints may in some case more susceptible to corrosion and may not in other case as compared to
metal being joined.
 Failure due to corrosion may occur in spite of the fact that the proper base metal and filler metal have been
selected, industry codes and standards have been followed, and welds have been deposited that possess
full weld penetration and have proper shape and contour.
 Corrosion in welds is more severe as it leads to catastrophic failure
Weld Microstructures
A weldment consist of a transition from base metal through HAZ to solidified weld metal involving five microstructurally
distinct regions:
 Fusion zone
 Unmixed region
 Partially melted region
 HAZ
 Unaffected Base metal
 Unmixed region is a part of Fusion zone , and partially melted region is a part of HAZ

FUSION ZONE
 Result of melting which fuses the base metal and filler metal to produce a zone with a composition that is most often
different from that of the base metal.
 Compositional difference produces a galvanic couple, which can influence the corrosion process in the vicinity of the weld.
 The fusion zone itself offers a microscopic galvanic effect due to microstructural segregation resulting from
solidification.
UNMIXED REGION
 Fusion zone has a thin region adjacent to the fusion line, known as the unmixed (chilled) region, where the base
metal is melted and then quickly solidified to produce composition similar to the base metal.

HEAT AFFECTED ZONE (HAZ)

 HAZ is the portion of the weld joint which has experienced peak temperatures high enough to produce solid-state
microstructural changes but too low to cause any melting.
 Each position has its own microstructural features and corrosion susceptibility.
 On fine scale microstructural gradients are present.

• PARTIALLY MELTED REGION

 Usually one or two grains into the HAZ relative to the fusion line.
 Characterized by grain boundary liquation, which may result in liquation cracking.
 These cracks are potential initiation sites for hydrogen- promoted underbead
cracking in high-strength steel.
 Unaffected Base Metal is that part of the workpiece that has not undergone any
metallurgical changes
 GALVANIC CORROSION

 Occurs when two different metals in contact are exposed to a conductive

solution.
 Use of filler metal of composition different from base metal may produce an
electrochemical potential difference that results in flow of current leading to
corrosion of anodic areas.
 For majority of Aluminium alloys weld metal and HAZ more noble compared to base
metal for a saltwater environment.
 However in certain Al alloys ,narrow anodic region formed in HAZ which is more
prone to localised attack. Alloys 7005 and 7039 are particularly susceptible to this
problem.
 Plain carbon steel weldments can also exhibit galvanic attack. For example, the
E6013 welding electrode is known to be highly anodic to A285 base metal in a
seawater environment.
 Selection of suitable filler material is thus very important.
Weld Decay of Stainless Steel
 During welding of stainless steels, local sensitized zones (i.e., regions
susceptible to corrosion) often develop.
 Sensitization is due to the formation of chromium carbide along grain
boundaries, resulting in depletion of chromium in the region adjacent to the
grain boundary.
 This chromium depletion produces very localized galvanic cells.
 If this depletion drops the chromium content below the necessary 12 wt% that
is required to maintain a protective passive film, the region will become
sensitized to corrosion, resulting in intergranular attack. This type of corrosion
most often occurs in the HAZ.
 Intergranular corrosion causes a loss of metal in a region that parallels the weld
deposit.This corrosion behavior is called weld decay.
HYDROGEN-INDUCED COLD CRACKING

 Cold cracking is the term used for cracks that occur after the weld has solidified and cooled; it
occurs in either the HAZ or the weld metal of low-alloy and other hardenable steels.
 They are often referred to as restraint cracks. may occur several hours, days, or weeks after the
 weld has cooled; consequently, the term delayed cracking is also used.
 On the basis of location, cracks are often described as toe cracking, root cracking, or
underbead cracking
For cold cracks to occur in steels, three principal factors must be
present:

I. atomic hydrogen,
II. HAZ or portion of the weld metal that is susceptible to hydrogen
embrittlement, and
• a high tensile stress resulting from restraint
•In steels, cracking in the base metal is often attributed to high carbon, alloy,
or sulfure content. Control of this cracking requires the use of low-hydrogen
electrodes, high preheat, sufficient interpass temperature, and greater
penetration through the use of higher currents and larger electrodes.
•The susceptibility of the microstructure to cold cracking relates to the
solubility of hydrogen and the possibility of supersaturation.
•Welding Practice to Minimize Corrosion
 Material and Welding Consumable Selection.
 Surface Preparation A properly selected cleaning process can
reduce defects that are often sites for corrosive attack in
aggressive environments.
 Welding design should promote deposits that have relatively flat
beads with low profiles and have minimal slag entrapment. A poor
design can generate crevices
 Welding Practice Complete penetration is preferred to avoid underbead gaps.
Slag should be removed after each pass with a power grinder or power chipping
tool. If the welding method uses flux, the geometry of the joint must permit
thorough flux removal, because many flux residues are hydrophilic and
corrosive.
 Weld Surface Finishing Maximum corrosion resistance usually demands a
smooth uniformly oxidized surface that is free from foreign particles and
irregularities
 Surface Coating When a variation in composition across the weld metal can
cause localized attack, it may be desirable to use protective coatings.
 Postweld Heat Treatment. A postweld heat treatment can be an effective way
to reduce corrosion susceptibility. This improved corrosion resistance is
accomplished through a reduction in residual stress gradients that influence
SCC growth. Postweld heat treatment can assist in the transport of hydrogen
from the weldment and reduce susceptibility to hydrogen cracking. The
treatment can also reduce compositional gradients (i.e., microsegregation) and
corresponding microgalvanic cells.
Weight Loss Test
The most common method of evaluating corrosion resistance is to measure the weight
lost during exposure to the corrodent.

Method:
A sample is prepared and carefully weighed.
The surface area that will be exposed to the corrodent is measured after masking off
support locations or other areas that would not be exposed directly. Masking should
leave a known volume so that the effective weight can be adjusted accordingly.
The sample is then subjected to the corrodent for a measured amount of time under
either standardized conditions or actual conditions, such as immersed in the ocean.
The weight loss is converted to an average corrosion rate using the following formula:
•R = average corrosion rate in depth of attack per unit time, mils/day (mm/day);
•K = constant;
•w = weight lost by the specimen during the test, ounce (oz) [gram (g)];
•A = total surface area of the test specimen, in2 (mm2);
•D = density of the specimen material, oz/in3 (g/mm3); and
•t = duration of exposure, seconds (s).