Corrosion Fatigue is a specific type of fatigue failure mechanism that is caused by a combination of cyclic stress and a corrosive environment. When a crack initiates as a result of fatigue, corrosion typically increases crack propagation.

While corrosion fatigue is commonly associated with rotating equipment, deaerators, and cycling boilers, corrosion fatigue can affect any unit operating in a corrosive environment that has sufficient cyclic stresses and stress raisers. Stress raisers are typically found in concentrated areas of a component such as pits, notches, surface defects, or changes in metallurgy.

Corrosion fatigue usually results in multiple parallel cracks at the surface of the component. However, some corrosion fatigue cracks can also be round, especially when cracking occurs near welded joints. Cracks can be located using effective nondestructive testing techniques. Ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle testing are two of the most common methods in particular to inspect for corrosion fatigue.

Several techniques are available to mitigate corrosion fatigue. Some of these techniques include using more corrosion resistant alloys, using coatings or inhibitors, reducing stress raisers, modifying the corrosive environment, and minimizing residual stresses due to welding by performing a post-weld heat treatment.

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Related Topics

• Amine Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)
• Ammonia Stress Corrosion Cracking
• Brittle Fracture
• Carburization
• Caustic Stress Corrosion Cracking (Caustic Embrittlement)
• Cavitation
• Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking
• Cooling Water Corrosion
• Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)
• Cracking
• Decarburization
• Embrittlement
• Erosion Corrosion
• Fatigue (Material)
• Graphitization
• High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA)
• Hydrochloric (HCl) Acid Corrosion
• Hydrofluoric (HF) Acid Corrosion
• Hydrogen Blistering
• Hydrogen Embrittlement
• Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC)
• Hydrogen Stress Cracking
• Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME)
• Metal Dusting
• Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC)
• Naphthenic Acid Corrosion (NAC)
• Phosphoric Acid Corrosion
• Polythionic Acid Stress Corrosion Cracking (PASCC)
• Spheroidization (Softening)
• Stress Assisted Corrosion
• Stress-Oriented Hydrogen Induced Cracking (SOHIC)
• Sulfidation Corrosion
• Sulfuric Acid Corrosion
• Thermal Fatigue
• Vibration-Induced Fatigue
• Wet H2S Damage

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