Material failure modes, part III: A brief tutorial on corrosion-related material failure modes

Abstract

This article is the final installment of a three-part series on material failure modes recently published in the MaterialEASE section of AMPTIAC Quarterly. Part One introduced the concept of material failure modes and covered fracture, ductile failure, elastic deformation, creep, and fatigue. Part Two continued the discussion with brief descriptions of impact, spalling, wear, brinelling, thermal shock, and radiation damage. This article completes the series on material failure modes, covering uniform, galvanic, crevice, pitting, intergranular, and erosion corrosion; selective leaching/dealloying; hydrogen damage; stress-corrosion cracking; and corrosion fatigue. The three articles taken together make a valuable desk reference for any professional making material selection and design decisions.