Corrosion guides

Solve and avoid corrosion problems using stainless steel

Corrosion is a complex science and presents engineers, designers and specifiers with the challenge of identifying the corrosion mechanisms at play – and then identifying which grade of stainless steel offers the optimum solution.

We produced the first edition of our Corrosion Handbook in 1934 and have been updating and editing it ever since. Now, you can download extracts from the 11th edition of the Handbook, giving you information that will help you to solve corrosion problems using stainless steel as a solution.

By downloading the extracts, you’ll get a full description of the many forms of corrosion and how different industries overcome the challenges of corrosion. You’ll also get access to our corrosion tables that list how our stainless steel grades resists corrosion when exposed to different chemicals.

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Handbooks & Guides

Outokumpu corrosion knowledge guides

See the descriptions of each corrosion guide (PDF) below and select the ones you are interested in. After filling in the download form, you will received the selected guides to your email.

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Stainless steel categories and their ranking by PRE

Traditionally, stainless steels are categorized according to their microstructure into ferritic, austenitic, duplex and martensitic and precipitation hardening stainless steels. Download the guide to learn more.

High temperature corrosion

There a number of common types of corrosion that can occur at high temperatures. Since several of these corrosion types may be active, either simultaneously or in sequence in practical cases, designers often have to choose between fulfilling contradictory demands for the material’s corrosion resistance. Download to learn more.

Corrosion testing

This guide describes some of the most common corrosion test procedures used for testing stainless steels. Some procedures are commonly used for commercial purposes when suppliers deliver material to users of stainless – they are known as delivery testing or release testing. Others are used for acceptance testing and may be part of an extended test program used to check whether a material is suitable for a specific application.

Corrosion resistance in water

Water is one of the most aggressive species towards the majority of metallic construction materials, including stainless steel. There are many different water qualities such as drinking water, seawater, swimming pool water, rainwater, cooling water, river water etc. In most cases, these different types of water contain microorganisms, added chemicals or contaminants (or absence of them) that in many cases have a huge effect on the corrosiveness of the water. Download to learn more.

Atmospheric Corrosion

Atmospheric corrosion is not a unique form of corrosion. Instead, it is a collective term to denote the corrosion of all surfaces in the atmosphere. It can take place in indoor or outdoor environments, and all corrosion forms can, in principle, be involved.

Stainless steel in household appliance and food contact applications

Stainless steel is the preferred material not only for cutlery and tableware but also in the food processing industry mostly because of its hygienic surface properties. The high chromium, molybdenum and nitrogen content of stainless steel is also beneficial in food contact applications.

Corrosion resistant stainless steel for pulp and paper processes

Several corrosion resistant stainless steels have been developed specifically with the aim of solving corrosion problems within this particular industry. In many ways, the stainless steel and pulp and paper industries have developed together. This development process is continuing to identify the best stainless steels to employ in different process areas.