The pitting corrosion behavior of three super 13Cr stainless steels was investigated through inclusion statistics, electrochemical measurements, and surface characterization. Results indicate that a higher inclusion content increases pitting susceptibility despite a higher PREN, confirming the critical role of inclusions in pit initiation. It is demonstrated that the preferential dissolution of MnS within large, complex inclusions serves as the primary cause of pit nucleation in super 13Cr steels.
Yang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.